The Prisoners
by RedMoonEclipse91
Summary: One by one, the Ronin Warriors are kidnapped by a greedy man. Mia and Yuli must rescue them but will they truly ever be free again? That man isn't about to let them go that easily.
1. Waking to a Different Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

The Prisoners

 _By RedMoonEclipse_

 **Chapter 1**

 _Waking to a Different Life_

Ryo felt himself slowly waking up. He felt uneasy for some reason but couldn't remember why. It was as if the teenager was missing something – something important.

Ryo opened his eyes. He found that he was in a room that wasn't his hotel room in Los Angeles. He couldn't remember how he had gotten here. As he sat up to inspect where he was at closer, he felt something move on his right wrist. He looked down to only find a simple, plain silver bracelet. That was another thing that Ryo couldn't remember. When had he put on the bracelet? The teenager wasn't one to wear jewelry – what 16 year old boy would? Jewelry was for girls.

He looked for a way to take off the bracelet but could not find anything. There wasn't even a seam to suggest that the bracelet had ever been in pieces.

Ryo quickly gave up trying to find a way to take the bracelet off. He let the bracelet go and stood up. The itch to call out the Wildfire armor was strong because of the uneasy feeling that had settled inside him.

When he called for the Wildfire, it didn't come. The only thing that came was a burning sensation around the base of the teenager's neck. Curious as to why he had only felt the burning, he looked around for a mirror. When he found his target the teenager walked to it. What he saw he didn't expect.

A circle of 'XXX's surrounded his neck looking as if it was a tattoo. Ryo was surprised at the sight. His neck hadn't had the markings before Ryo had woken up in the strange room. He couldn't understand why he was wearing the tattoo-like mark around his neck and the bracelet on his wrist.

The teenager's blue eyes swept what Ryo only assumed was a bedroom with 5 beds, looking for a way out of the room. There was a lone door that was opposite of where he was standing. He went to it and reached for the knob. He was expecting for it to be locked so he was surprised that the door opened without any sort of resistance. He knew that he was strong but this was ridicules even for him.

The black-haired teenager walked through the doorway only to see that the hall was completely empty of any sort of living being. He walked through the place without even seeing so much as a guard.

 _Whoever kidnapped me is lousy at keeping people from leaving_ , Ryo thought as he walked. _But where_ is _everyone?_

The decision to find a way out of this place came quickly. He began to scout the area but couldn't find a way out. He kept walking until he hit a metal gate that was the same color as Ryo's new bracelet.

"Is anyone here?" Ryo loudly asked from in front of the gate. At first no one came and Ryo was beginning to think that wherever he was, he was the only one there. He was about to turn back when he heard footsteps close to the gate.

A brunette man in a black suit and blood-red tie came into view. Beside the man was a beautiful woman in a long, black dress. They stopped in front of the gate. The man was the first to speak.

"My name is Mason," the man said.

"You can call me the Sorceress," the woman told Ryo after Mason had finished speaking. Ryo could distinctively hear the capital 'S' when the woman spoke.

"Where am I?" Ryo asked the two.

"You are at my estate," Mason told the teenager.

"Why am I here?" The black-haired teenager asked.

"You are going be fighting for me, Ryo," Mason answered.

Ryo felt a rush of cold fear go down his spin. _How does he know my name?_ He silently asked himself.

"I'm not going to fight for you," Ryo promised the man.

Mason smiled. "You don't have a choice," he told the teenager.

The Sorceress pointed at the tattoo-like mark around the black-haired teenager's neck. "That Sealing Mark on your neck will make you fight."

"You won't be able to run," Mason told Ryo. "The bracelet on your wrist has a tracking chip inside. It will tell me where you are at no matter where it is."

Mason turned to the Sorceress. "Shall we leave?" He asked her. It was as if the man had forgotten his captive. "There are things that I need to do."

The Sorceress nodded her head. She followed the man away from the gate that separated them from Ryo. The black-haired teenager just watched them go. Once they were out of sight, Ryo began trying to break through the gate in front of him.

The gate didn't even bend underneath Ryo's strong hands. No matter how much strength he used or the force he tried, the gate never even warped. It was as if it was made of a metal that not even Ryo could bend and he didn't understand it. _Would even Kento be able to make it bend?_ Ryo asked himself.

His hands left the metal bars of the gate and he turned back the way that he had come. He walked while being lost in his thoughts. He had to find a way out of here before something happened.

Before Ryo realized it, the teenager had left his now-prison. He found himself on a terrace beside a few tables that had 2 chairs around each one. When he looked out he saw a pool – _Cye would like it_ – and a fire pit near it. Both were surrounded by grass with sidewalks going to each one.

He quickly saw the walls surrounding the vast area that Ryo had found himself in. The walls weren't particularly high. Ryo wouldn't have much trouble jumping over them. It was the pieces of paper on the walls that drew his attention. He walked to one of the walls to inspect them. He was curious about the unknown script on them. His hand reached out to peel one off so that he could look at it closer.

Black lightning-like lights went between his hand and the piece of paper. Ryo couldn't get his hand closer to the piece of paper. He pulled his hand back and went to put it on the wall to push himself back from the piece of paper. Black lightning-like lights went between Ryo's hand and the wall again. The teenager took his hand away from the wall.

Ryo walked back a few paces. He ran at the wall and jumped up with the intention to go over it. He hit an invisible wall above the physical one. The teenager immediately fell to the ground. He looked at the top of the wall. _What was that?_ He asked himself.

The black-haired teenager gave up trying to jump over the wall. He walked back to the terrace and sat in one of the many chairs to think. As he sat there he tried to remember what had led to Ryo waking up at Mason's estate.

"Wasn't I with the others?" Ryo asked no one.

…

 _Ryo walked into the restaurant that Kento's uncle owned. His eyes scanned the many tables, looking for 6 particular people. He had been asked to meet them here for dinner. He had left late so the people he had come to eat with were already waiting at a table to the side of the big room._

 _Ryo went to their table._

 _"You're late," Rowen pointed out from the other side of the table._

 _Ryo sat beside Kento. "Sorry," he apologized. "I took longer than I thought."_

 _"No problem, man," Kento said with a pat on the black-haired teenager's back, "at least you made it."_

 _"Was getting worried, though," Cye admitted from his place across from Ryo._

 _Ryo smiled at his brunette friend. "Sorry," he said again._

 _Mia smiled. "Its okay, Ryo," she told her boy. "I'm just glad you just made it."_

 _"Have you ordered yet?" Ryo asked._

 _"Are you kidding?" Rowen asked. "I swear Kento ordered at least half of the menu."_

 _"It's a good thing Mia's rich," Sage added. "Otherwise Kento might have spent it all on tonight's dinner."_

 _"Hey!" Kento protested. "I can't help that I eat more than you!"_

 _The brunette snickered. "_ Much _more," he corrected his purple-haired friend._

 _Hardrock sent his friend a pout. "Sorry for eating so much," he sarcastically said._

 _"Hey, it's all good," Rowen interrupted._

 _Kento saw the multiple waitresses walking towards them. He smiled brightly and said "food's coming!"_

 _Wildfire looked in the direction Kento seemed to be only focused on. "Did you order anything for me?" He asked._

 _Kento smiled brightly. "Of course," he answered, "your favorite even!"_

 _Ryo watched as the food was placed on the table. It seemed as if at least half of the table was taken up by the amount that Kento alone had ordered._

…

The memory ended with Ryo eating dinner with the other Ronins, Mia and Yuli. It was after that that Ryo couldn't remember. _What had happened after that?_

The sun began to set as Ryo sat there thinking. He couldn't remember anything more and it was starting to bother him. He felt as if he was missing something important.

When night came, Ryo looked at the stars. _Rowen would like it here_ , Wildfire thought. _You can see the stars so well here because there are no city lights taking away the beauty of them_. The thought came crashing down when Ryo remembered the reason he had been brought here. He didn't want his friend to get caught up in the situation.

But he missed Rowen – he missed all of the Ronin Warriors. He wanted to be wherever they were right now.

Ryo stood and walked back inside. It didn't take long for Ryo to find his new bedroom again. He lay down in the bed that he had woken up in earlier. He fell asleep thinking about his friends, Mia and Yuli. Did anyone know that he was missing?

…

The next day found Ryo sitting beside the fire pit outside. There was a fire going in it but it wasn't helping him much. His connection with the Wildfire had basically been severed by the Sealing Mark around the black-haired teenager's neck somehow. He missed his armor. He had gotten used to being able to feel the Wildfire's soul being tied to his own soul. Losing that tie between them so suddenly had caused the black-haired teenager to miss even his element.

Ryo sat there as he thought about what to do next. Nothing came to the teenager as the hours passed by him.

He didn't know when his skin had started to turn red. He couldn't feel any heat and his friends weren't there to help Ryo. By the time he realized he had gotten sunburned, his skin was already a little red.

He could hear Sage's voice in his mind. _Get out of the sun, Ryo. You're getting sunburned again_.

Ryo stood. He put out the fire in the fire pit and went inside the mansion. He found the room that he had eaten breakfast in earlier. He sat in one of the chairs and waited – like Rowen had always told him to do – while his skin cooled down. As he sat there he couldn't stop looking at the fireplace in the room.

 _It's inside_ , he reasoned. _I can sit in front of it since there's no sun inside here_.

He stood and went to the fireplace. He lit the fire and settled in front it. As he sat there he missed his armor like he had when he had been sitting near the fire pit with the fire going. He sat there for hours like he had outside. He didn't worry about his sunburn worsening since he was inside the mansion.

…

Mia tried calling Ryo again. Like the times before, Ryo's cell was still turned off. She closed her own cell and turned to the others in Mia and Yuli's hotel room.

"I can't get in touch with Ryo," she stated. "I don't understand. He's never ignored any of our calls before."

Kento laid his chest on the single table in the room and stretched his arms across it. "I know," he said. "I tried, like, 5 times already."

Rowen spoke from his place on Mia's bed. "I can't get in touch either." He looked at Sage and Cye. "Were you guys able to?"

Sage shook his head.

"Ryo never answered when I tried to call him a couple of times," Cye reported.

"Could Ryo still be asleep, Mia?" Yuli asked from the floor by Mia's bed.

Kento shook his head. "Ryo's never really slept in for as long as I've known him," Kento told the 10 year old.

Sage nodded from his spot on Yuli's bed. "Kento's right, Yuli," the blonde told the boy. "I don't think Ryo's one of those who sleep in regularly."

Rowen caught the pointed look Sage was giving him. "I _like_ sleeping," the blue-haired teenager defended.

Sage smiled a little. "Yeah, Rowen," he said. "We _all_ know that."

Kento snickered.

Mia shook her head. "Should we check if Ryo's still asleep?" Mia asked.

Out of all of the Ronins, Ryo was the only one who slept by himself. The hotel that the Ronins, Mia and Yuli were staying at didn't allow more than 2 people per room for some reason. The Ronins had naturally split into the same groups that shared a room together like at Mia's place. Ryo, because he always slept in the room with White Blaze, had naturally gotten his own hotel room.

The 6 of them left Mia and Yuli's hotel room. They walked across the hall and knocked on the door. When there wasn't any sound from inside the room, Rowen knocked again.

"Ryo?" Rowen asked.

Mia looked down the hall when there was no answer from inside. "I'll get the receptionist," she said. "I think that they'll open the door for us."

Mia left. After a few minutes Mia came back with the receptionist trailing behind her. They unlocked the door and immediately left. The Ronins, Mia or Yuli weren't able to thank the receptionist in time.

Sage opened the door and walked inside.

"You awake, Ryo?" Sage asked.

When there was no answer, Cye flipped on the light switch. An empty bed greeted them.

Mia turned to her boys. "Where do you think Ryo could have gone?" She asked them.

Kento shrugged. "Maybe he went to get something to eat?" He suggested.

"Only you would do that," Cye pointed out.

Kento smiled and shrugged as if to say _so what?_.

"Mia, why don't you take Yuli back to your guys' hotel room?" Rowen suggested. "Me and the others will try to find Ryo."

Mia nodded. "Hurry and find him, Rowen. I'm worried that something might have happened to him."

"Are you kidding?" Kento joked. "Ryo's got the Wildfire. He'll be fine."

Mia didn't smile. "Just because Ryo has the Wildfire doesn't mean that he's invincible," she reminded him.

Mia left with Yuli. She closed the door behind her.

"Well," Sage asked, "how do we find him?"

Rowen looked at his friends. "We split up to find him," he stated.

"He'll be found easier that way," Cye agreed.

Kento stretched his arms above his head, his right hand holding his left elbow. He dropped them. "Well, let's get going then."

The 4 of them left the room. When Rowen had closed the door, Sage looked at the other 3. "Split up and look in different areas in town that's near here?" He suggested. "I don't think he'll have gone far."

Rowen nodded. "Yeah, I agree. We'll call if we find him."

"When should we meet up again?" Cye asked.

"How about for lunch?" Kento asked.

Rowen nodded. "Sounds good," he said.

Sage, Rowen, Kento and Cye walked out of the hotel. They waved at each other as they separated. They headed in opposite directions.

…

At the beginning Rowen didn't ask anyone. He thought that he'd be able to find his missing friend easily. When that didn't happen the blue-haired teenager went for the second option.

"Excuse me," he said to a young woman. "I'm looking for a friend."

The young woman looked the teenager up and down in appreciation. She thought that the teenager in front of her was cute.

"What does your friend look like?" She asked.

Rowen lifted his hand. "He's about this height. He's got black hair and blue eyes. He's Japanese. He's 16. He al-" Rowen caught himself from before he finished Ryo's description. _White Blaze isn't with Ryo right now; he's in Japan_.

The young woman shook her head. "I haven't seen anyone like that around," she stated.

Rowen smiled tightly. "Thanks for your help," he told the young woman.

Strata left quickly left her. He looked around himself again and went to the next person, a short old man.

"Excuse me," he said when he was standing in front of him. "I'm looking for a friend." This time he raised his hand to Ryo's height. "He's about this height with black hair and blue eyes. He's Japanese. He's also 16." This time Rowen was able to catch himself from starting to say that Ryo always had a tiger with him.

The old man shook his head. "Sorry," he told the teenager, "haven't seen anyone like that."

Rowen nodded his head. He left the old man and walked a little ways before looking for someone again.

"Excuse me," he said when he reached the person. "I'm looking for a friend."

"What does he look like?" The person asked.

Like before, Rowen raised his hand to Ryo's height. "He's about this tall, has black hair and blue eyes. He's 16 and Japanese."

He was answered with a shake of the head. "Sorry," he was told like the times before, "haven't seen anyone like that."

Rowen nodded. "Thanks for your help."

"I hope you find him soon," the person said.

…

Sage started asking people on the streets near the hotel rather quickly. But there was a problem compared to his blue-haired friend. It seemed as if every female wanted to flirt with him each time he asked for their help in finding Ryo. After several times of this, the blonde decided to stick with asking males.

"Can you help me?" Sage asked a young man. "I'm looking for a friend."

"Can you describe him to me?"

"He's Japanese," He raised his hand to Ryo's height. "He's about this tall with blue eyes and black hair."

The young man shook his head. "That describes many people here," he stated. "How old is he?"

"He's 16," the blonde answered.

The young man shook his head. "Haven't seen anyone like that around here," he told Halo.

Sage nodded. He left the young man.

He walked down several different streets near the hotel. He looked into each alley but only found a group of boys one time. The black-haired teenager was still missing a couple of hours later. Sage tried to stop the worry from coming; Ryo could defend himself if needed.

…

Kento tried to ignore the restaurants and fast food places.

Really, he tried.

If his stomach wasn't growling from hunger, he might be having an easier time looking for Ryo.

…

Cye was still asking people about Ryo when it became close to lunch.

 _Should I start heading back to the hotel? I'm sure Kento's already at Mia and Yuli's room waiting to eating_. The brunette could see Kento laying on one of the beds complaining that he was starving and that he'll die of starvation if everyone didn't come back soon.

Torrent turned around. He started heading back to the hotel that he and the others were staying at.

…

Sage, Rowen, Cye and Kento returned to Mia and Yuli's room soon after each other. When everyone had finally gathered together, Mia led them to the restaurant that Kento's uncle owned.

When they were waiting for the food that they had ordered – with Kento ordering a _lot_ more than them like usual – the 4 Ronins began filling each other, Mia and Yuli in on their searches. It was obvious that Ryo hadn't been found by any of them at this point.

"I asked a lot of people," Cye told the others, "but none of them seemed to be able to tell me where Ryo is."

"I had the same problem," Rowen agreed.

Sage nodded. "I asked basically everyone except the females," he informed the others. He gave a shrug at their expressions. "You know the females like to flirt with me," he reminded them.

Rowen smiled. _Sage's right_ , he thought.

"I asked people, too," Kento said. "But that didn't get anywhere."

Mia nodded. "I'm just surprised that Ryo hasn't been found yet," she told the others.

"Hey, Mia? Does that mean Ryo's in trouble?" Yuli asked the female brunette.

"I'm sure Ryo's fine," Cye answered for Mia.

"But, still," Sage said, "where could he have gone?"

"Did any of you look inside the buildings like bookstores?" Rowen asked the other 3 Ronin Warriors.

Cye shook his head. "Truthfully, I didn't think of that," he admitted.

"We'll have to try that after lunch," Sage suggested.

Kento nodded. He was about to say something when he caught sight of his most favorite thing in the world. "Food's here!" He exclaimed.

The others at the table laughed.

…

After lunch, the 6 of them returned to their hotel. They went to Mia and Yuli's room to discuss where Ryo might have gone. It would have been a great brainstorming if one of them knew where the black-haired teenager might have gone without telling any of them. The only conclusion that they could come up with was the same thing that Rowen had asked while they were waiting to eat: check all of the buildings that they pass by to find their missing friend.

The 4 Ronins split after leaving the hotel.

Each looked inside the buildings they passed. Kento was the only one who had a hard time leaving a restaurant or fast food place. If he hadn't just eaten, the purple-haired teenager might have forgotten what he was doing and have gotten something to eat.

Mia went to the receptionist soon after the Ronins left to find Ryo. She had a question that had been bugging her since her boys had left to find their missing friend.

She stopped in front of the front desk.

"I'd like to ask a question," Mia told the receptionist.

"What is it?" the person behind the desk asked.

"I'm looking for someone," Mia began. "He's 16 years old, Japanese and has black hair and blue eyes." Like the 4 Ronin Warriors, she raised her hand to about Ryo's height. "He's also about this tall. I think he might have left last night."

The person behind the front desk shook their head.

"Sorry," they answered, "no one who looks like that ever came through here last night.

"Thanks for your help," Mia told the person.

She left after being given a nod. The young woman returned to the hotel room that she shared with Yuli to wait for the teenagers' return. Worry was beginning to gnaw at her. Where could Wildfire have gone?

When Mia walked through the door to the room, she saw that Yuli was sitting in one of the chairs with his feet on the seat in front of him.

"What do you think happened to Ryo, Mia?" Yuli asked again.

Mia sat in the only other chair in the room. She looked out the window. "I don't know, Yuli," she admitted. She turned to the boy with a bright smile. "But this is Ryo we're talking about. He'll be okay."

Yuli nodded. Ryo _had_ to be okay.

The 2 of them waited in their hotel room for the 4 teenagers to return. It wasn't until dinnertime that they came back to Mia and Yuli.

The first thing that Rowen did was shake his head when Mia looked at him. He sat on Yuli's bed and waited for the other 3 to come back. Mia and Yuli didn't say anything as they waited; Rowen didn't feel like talking.

Kento was the second to return.

"Still can't find him," he told them after he shut the door. He sat on Mia's bed while waiting for Cye and Sage.

Sage was the third to walk through the room's door. He shook his head like Rowen had and sat next to Rowen on Yuli's bed. At this point none of the occupants in the room had said anything. Each was lost in their own thoughts. Where could Ryo have gone?

Cye was the last to return.

"I haven't found Ryo," the brunette told the others by the door. He walked to the others and sat next to Kento on Mia's bed.

"Did any of you find anything that would be helpful?" Mia asked from her seat.

Rowen shook his head. "It's as if he dropped off the face the planet. I looked in the bookstores, actual stores and any place that he could have gotten something to eat."

Kento nodded. "I even looked in the restaurants and fast food places," he announced proudly. "I didn't even eat at any of them."

"And you didn't get anything to eat?" Cye echoed in amazement. "That's amazing."

"Are you sure you're Kento?" Sage asked.

Kento crossed his arms. "I'm not _that_ bad," he pouted.

Cye snickered. "Yeah, right," he whispered.

Kento punched his brunette friend's arm in retaliation for the comment.

Mia stood. "Let's get something to eat," she suggested.

Kento jumped up. "I'm starving!"

Everyone in the room laughed. Even with everything that had happened today, Kento's stomach didn't fail them when it came to normalcy.

After they returned from eating at the restaurant that Kento's uncle owned, Cye and Kento went to their hotel room with Rowen and Sage returning to their own. Mia and Yuli went to their room as well.

The 4 teenagers, Mia and Yuli tried to sleep but sleep was hard to find that night. The fact that Ryo's empty room was across from Mia and Yuli's didn't help.

The next couple of days were spent with Kento, Sage, Cye and Rowen looking for Ryo while Mia and Yuli waited for their return to Mia and Yuli's hotel room. Even after those couple of days of looking for the missing teenager, Ryo was still missing.

Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen, Mia and Yuli's fear kept growing the longer that the black-haired teenager was missing.

RME: I have no idea what life is like in the 80's as I wasn't alive at that time. Instead, this is set in today's world.


	2. Mason's First Offer

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 2**

 _Mason's First Offer_

One early morning, Mason left his estate. There was a single place on his mind. The excitement of what was to come was burning inside him. Would he get more than usual? This was the first time he had done this type of thing before.

The greed inside himself kept growing as he was driven to the fancy hotel a ways away from his estate where his money-maker was being kept.

When Mason reached the fancy hotel, the man got out of the limousine. His hands went to his brown hair to make sure that it hadn't moved since he had combed it. He wanted to look his finest to give a good impression.

He silently walked through the door and past the receptionist. The man knew how to reach the hidden room by heart by now. His green eyes didn't even need to scan the place for the unassuming door. He took out his key card from his suit pocket and opened it.

When he walked inside the large room, a vast area with a big table sitting in the middle of it, he saw that most of his comrades were already there. He sat in his usual seat among the many people around the single table.

"Are we all gathered here today?" The leader of the group asked. When everyone nodded the man began the meeting. "Do any of you have anything to sell?" He asked the people around the table.

A woman in rich clothes held up her hand. "I came across some very rare diamonds the other day," she informed the group. "Would any of you like to buy them?"

Mason saw the greed on some of his comrades' faces. If he wasn't so excited about his own, he might have focused on out-bidding any of them. As it was, he wanted to wait until the right moment for the best impact.

The diamonds were quickly sold.

"Anyone else?" The leader asked.

"I bought some rare, Egyptian silk from Egypt itself," came the second offer.

The silk wasn't sold as fast as the rare diamonds that the woman had offered.

Mason waited for another 3 biddings before making his own.

"I have a new offer for you," Mason interrupted. "I'm sure everyone here will be interested in it."

A middle-aged woman with a fur scarf rolled her eyes. "Again? When will you learn that you can only be paid so much for those things?"

Mason smiled. "But, my dear, this is a first for _everyone_ here," he pleasantly told the woman.

The leader's interest was spiked. "What is this offer, Mason?" He asked the man.

Mason smiled again. "I am offering to fight any fight for you. All you have to do is offer more money than everyone else here."

"Oh?" The middle-aged woman said with a raised eye brow.

"Yes, my dear, any fight you wish for me to take care of, I will. No questions asked."

Mason never specifically stated who would fight the fights which Mason was offering to do. He wasn't about to tell them of his newest money-maker. No, that single teenager was his secret that he wouldn't share with anyone. Who knows what would happen to Ryo if the people around the table ever found out about him and the power of his mysterious armor.

The biddings started. Mason just sat back and watched with satisfaction and greed as the money he would be paid increased the longer that the bidding kept going. When it finished, Mason was disappointed. The sum of money he would be given was a nice amount but he had thought that he would have been paid more with this offer.

 _Patience_ , he told himself, _patience. It'll eventually pay off. This is the first time; they are bound to be hesitant_.

"Is that the highest bid?" The leader asked.

No one said anything.

"What is the fight you would have me to do?" Mason politely asked.

"There is a group people near my estate who are giving me trouble," the young woman answered. "I'd like you to subdue them so that they will submit to me."

Mason nodded. "Very well," he said. "Transfer the money to the usual account and I will take care of the fight."

The brunette man stood and left the room. When his back was to the closed door his neutral facial expression turned to a frown. Today hadn't gone how he had thought it would when he had awoken this morning. _Patience_ , he reminded himself, _patience is the key. It'll eventually rise to the amount that I want_.

All Mason had to do now was tell the Sorceress that he had given his first offer.

He returned to his limousine which was waiting in front of the hotel. He was driven back to his mansion. When he walked inside, he called for one of his servants. He was told where the Sorceress was and he walked to talk to the woman. He wanted to tell her about what had happened while he was in the room where the black market was located.

When he reached the door to the Sorceress' suite, he knocked on the door.

"It's Mason," he called through the door. "I've returned."

The door opened with the Sorceress still sitting on the couch in her sitting room. Mason walked through the door. It shut behind him after the Sorceress spoke words that the man couldn't understand.

The man sat in the armchair near the Sorceress.

"I just came back," he informed the woman.

The Sorceress' gray eyes turned to him. "How did it go?" She asked.

"It didn't go as well as I had wanted," the man admitted.

The Sorceress' auburn hair moved across her back slightly as she shook her head.

"It's only natural that they will not pay you more," she pointed out. "You make your living as a mercenary. It's only natural that they do not pay you more this time. It will increase over time once they see that you are able to always keep your end of the deal."

Mason changed the subject.

"I've got our first fight," Mason told the Sorceress. "One of them wants us to subdue a group of people near her estate."

"When will Ryo fight?" The Sorceress asked.

"Once I am paid the money, we'll send Ryo to subdue the group of people. I trust that you will go with him?"

She nodded. "Of course," she responded. "After all, I am the only one who can unlock his Sealing Mark and force him to fight."

Mason stood. He bowed slightly to the woman on the couch.

"I will take my leave then," he told her.

Her gray eyes followed his back as he walked out of the room. The woman spoke in the unfamiliar language. The door closed behind Mason without her standing.

…

At breakfast the next morning, Mason informed the auburn woman that he had been paid the money already. The Sorceress told him that she would take Ryo to where the fight would be after breakfast.

Once the Sorceress had finished eating, she left to grab Ryo. When she entered the Ronin Warrior's prison she found him by the fire pit.

"We're leaving," she told the teenager.

The black-haired teenager looked at her. His blue eyes watched her warily as she came closer to him.

"Where are we going?" He asked the woman.

The woman smiled sweetly. "You will see," she told him. "Now, you can come willingly or I will force you to come with me."

Ryo didn't want to be forced to go wherever she was taking him. He stood and followed the woman to the open gate. Many guards where in front of it when the teenager reached it. They fell into step around him as he walked behind the woman, being careful not to step on her flowing, black dress.

When Ryo was led outside of the mansion he saw a fancy-looking minivan. The side door was opened and the teenager was told to get inside. Ryo sat in the middle, next to the woman. The woman said something that he couldn't understand. When he went to move to find a more comfortable position, he found that he couldn't move.

 _What is going on?_ He thought. _Suddenly I can't move_.

None of the others inside the minivan, including the Sorceress, seemed to have the same problem that he did. It annoyed him for some reason. Why was he the only one who was being treated as a disobedient dog?

Ryo sat in silence glaring at the driver he was sitting behind. He didn't say anything as he was taken to wherever their destination was.

When the vehicle finally reached it, the minivan's side door was opened again.

"Don't try anything funny," one of the guards behind him said.

Ryo couldn't turn his head to see who had given the warning. All he could do was wait for the men in the minivan to get out with the Sorceress following behind them. She said some unknown words again.

"Move," another guard told the teenager.

Ryo wasn't sure he could _even_ move but the gun pointed at him gave him enough motivation to try. Much to his surprise his muscles obeyed him. He scooted across the seat to the minivan's side door. He got out and stretched. The Sorceress waited for the teenager to have his hands fall down before going to him.

"Are you willing to fight, Ryo?" The Sorceress asked.

Ryo gave her a _are you kidding me?_ look. "I'm not going fight anyone," he flat out told the woman.

"You don't have a choice, Ryo," she told him.

Ryo took a step backwards when he saw the guards coming closer with their guns pointed at him.

"Get moving," one of them said.

There was a force from the middle of his back that made the teenager stumble. At this moment he wished that the guards were Dynasty Soldiers. If they weren't normal people, Ryo would have had no problem killing them. But, because they were _human_ , Ryo couldn't make himself even hit one of them. Instead, he just walked forwards with the guns still pointed at him.

Eventually the Sorceress stopped. She turned to Ryo and motioned for the guards to move away from the teenager. She went to Ryo and said something that he couldn't hear.

Ryo felt his connection to the Wildfire come back. He would have smiled if he didn't see the look in her eyes. 2 of her fingers touched his forehead and she spoke again words that he couldn't understand.

Horror came with the need to destroy – anything or anyone was fine as long as he decimated them. That was all that mattered to him right now. He felt the Wildfire react to this sudden feeling. He could feel the armor wrap itself protectively around him. His hands took his swords from their sheathes without him thinking.

"What did you do?" Wildfire asked the Sorceress.

The Sorceress just smiled and stepped aside. She motioned for the teenager to start walking to the people below them.

"Remember," she told him, "you are to subdue them, not to let them run."

Ryo found himself walking towards the people below him. His hands tightened on the hilts of his swords. _No_ , he pleaded as he was forced to walk, _please don't make me do this. I_ don't _want to do this_.

Wildfire crept to the edge of the group. He put his right sword diagonal in front of him. He waited for the nearest person to come. When he saw his target, he charged at the man in front of him.

"RUN!" He screamed as he ran.

The man jumped in surprise. He was always ready to fight but hadn't thought he would have to fight someone wearing funny-looking armor that was going to fight with _swords_. The man shot a bullet at the teenager's chest, fully expecting his attacker to die before reaching him. When the bullet just bounced off the armor, the man didn't know what to think of it.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Ryo screamed as his right sword went to run the man through.

The man jumped back. He turned and ran.

"INTRUDER!" He yelled as he ran away from Wildfire.

Ryo ran after the man. Since the teenager was faster than anyone who was there, he quickly caught up to his enemy. His sword went through the man, barely missing any vital places. He pulled out his bloody, red sword and the man fell in a heap at his feet.

"EVERYONE, GET OUT OF HERE!" Ryo screamed at anyone listening. He didn't want to hurt another human being. Injuring the one at his feet was bad enough. He didn't want to think about what would happen to the others who were here if they didn't run away from him.

Many bullets hit the Wildfire's armor. Ryo just stood there without any of them even denting it. When the firing had ceased, Ryo ran to where the bullets had come from. He found many women and men hiding inside what looked like an abandoned building.

"I told you to run!" He told the people in the building.

They just held up their guns, ready to shoot.

"Don't you guys understand? You can't harm me," he told them.

It didn't take long for Ryo to incapacitate the people in the building. He left to find the others who were living in the area. Through the entire time the teenager had futilely tried to either stop himself or to get the people to run away before he could harm them. The only consolation – if you could call it that – was that he hadn't killed _anyone_ while he went through the buildings looking for any people who had escaped. When everyone was injured, Ryo found himself returning to where the Sorceress was waiting for him. He stopped in front of the woman. He felt the Wildfire leave him. When Ryo was wearing his regular clothes again, he found that he was frozen like he had been in the van. The Sorceress softly said something different from last time and Ryo lost his connection to the Wildfire's soul inside him. The Sorceress' fingers touched Ryo's forehead and the need to destroy went away. All that was left was a sick feeling.

"Get back into the van," the Sorceress told the black-haired teenager.

Ryo found himself in the minivan before he really registered what his prison keeper had said. He felt as if he was in a daze as he was taken back to his fancy prison.

…

The Sorceress returned to her rooms to think. She had found something peculiar about her prisoner. She had felt something inside him – an unknown entity if you will – that wasn't either the armor's soul or Ryo's own.

She sat in the chair in her sitting room. She couldn't think of what that unknown entity was inside that teenager. It was something that she had never come across before and she didn't like it. She liked controlling others and the mystery she had just been given made her feel as if her control over Ryo wasn't as thorough as she had thought. If she knew what that unknown entity inside the teenager was, she knew she would get total control over him.

She eventually went to find Mason. Her employer would want to know how the fight had gone. When she found the man, she started talking.

"You were right, Mason," she told the brunette man. "That boy holds incredible power inside him."

"How did it go?" Mason asked her.

The Sorceress smiled. "Perfect," she replied. "He subdued those people as if they were nothing. He didn't even have to kill any one of them."

"That's good to hear," Mason said with satisfaction.

"But, Mason," the Sorceress interrupted, "I've come across something peculiar while I had total control over him."

"What is it?" Mason asked.

"There is _something_ inside Ryo that I had not been expecting," she told him, "it is not his armor's soul or even his own."

"Do you know what it is?"

The Sorceress shook her head. "Truthfully, I've never come across this before."

Mason's curiosity spiked. "I didn't think there was something special about that boy besides that armor of his that has the destruction power of a regular sized army."

"What should we do about this?" The Sorceress asked.

"We'll just have to watch him to figure out what that unknown entity is," Mason replied. "I don't know if Ryo even knows about it."

"I agree," the Sorceress said. "We will have to watch him for now to find the answer about the unknown entity inside of him."

The Sorceress returned to her rooms. She sat on her couch and a large mirror showed in front of her. She saw that Ryo was outside by the fire pit.

…

To say that Ryo felt uneasy was an understatement right now. The fear inside him was gnawing at him. Ryo didn't know that the Sorceress already knew that there was something else besides the Wildfire's soul and his own inside of him.

It was the fear of the Sorceress and Mason finding out about the Inferno that wouldn't leave him. He knew that the Inferno was much more powerful than all 5 of the Ronin armors combined. He knew the amount of destruction that the Inferno could cause – all of the Ronin Warriors knew that intimately. He knew the amount of damage it would cause if the Sorceress ever knew about it. After what had happened today, he was certain that the Sorceress could control it and he was scared because of that.

…

The Sorceress watched Ryo's actions – or lack thereof – in her mirror. He hadn't moved for hours but she could tell that the teenager was scared of _something_. It didn't catch her interest much as Ryo was her and Mason's prisoner and he had just been forced to fight his first fight since they had kidnapped him.

She sat there for a while longer, watching the teenager just stare into the fire in the fire pit. It was dark by the time she had the mirror disappear. She stood and went to find Mason. She was going to report that Ryo seemed scared for some reason. It wouldn't do if it caused any hiccups in their plans.

"Ryo is scared, Mason," she said when she found the man.

"What do you mean?" Mason asked.

The Sorceress moved an auburn lock behind her ear.

"The boy seems to be scared of something," she explained.

Mason shrugged. He didn't think much of it since Ryo had just been forced to do something.

"Just keep an eye on him for now," he told the woman.

The woman nodded and left him alone.

…

Ryo was trying to sleep one night after the fight. He couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened between eating dinner with his friends, Mia and Yuli, and when he woke up at Mason's estate.

Ryo could see a vague picture of someone in his mind. He couldn't recall the specifics of what that person looked like or even if they were male or female. He lay there trying to make the picture come more into focus. He felt that if he remembered enough of what they looked like, the memory he was missing would return.

He was almost asleep when it finally came to him.

 _Ryo was standing in front of a candy shop's window. He had just eaten with the guys and had gone off to buy some dessert on his own. He had heard of this place from someone recently and had been wanting to try it. He hadn't told anyone where he was going because he knew that Kento would insist on coming with him. He didn't have enough money to pay for the huge amount of food that his friend would want if Wildfire had brought him along._

 _"My," a young woman said from behind him, "are you also looking for something to eat?"_

 _Ryo turned around. He could tell that she was well off; her clothes gave it away perfectly._

 _The teenager smiled politely. "Yeah," he answered. "I heard about this place and wanted to try it."_

 _The woman smiled brightly. She held up an opened box for Wildfire to see. "I happen to have the best chocolate of this place," she said. "Would you care to join me? I didn't realize I had bought too much until after I paid for it."_

 _Ryo smiled at her. "I wouldn't mind," he said, thinking of his pitiful amount of money he had left in his pocket. He had been meaning to ask Mia if he could borrow some money but kept forgetting each time he saw her._

 _"Why don't we enjoy it at the park near here?" She suggested with a smile._

 _Ryo nodded. She held out her free arm for him. He walked the few steps between them. He hooked his arm around hers._

 _"Lead the way," he told her._

 _She smiled in delight. She started walking down the street, away from the area that Ryo's hotel was in. Ryo kept pace with her as they talked. He didn't notice how far he had come until they arrived at a park in an area of town that Ryo hadn't ever been to._

 _"This way," she said. "There is some nice shade over there with a bench for us to sit on while we eat."_

 _Ryo let himself be lead away from the main traffic path. He sat on the bench beside the young woman. She carefully opened the box that was now on her lap. She held up the full box of chocolates._

 _"Why don't you have the first pick?" She asked_.

….

…

.….. _what happened after that?_

Ryo couldn't remember.

The memory of his time with the unknown young woman kept going through his head as if there was something he was missing. There was something, right?

…

About a week after Ryo had been forced to fight, Sage, Kento, Cye, Mia, Yuli and Rowen were still looking for their missing friend. They had completely given up trying to look for Ryo on their own. Now they were asking people they came across if any of them had somehow seen Ryo when he had disappeared. They used their best description of Wildfire but it seemed as if none of them had ever seen anyone who looked like Ryo.

Disappointment was starting to hang over them like a raincloud the more days that passed without them being able to find the black-haired teenager.

They kept asking for a couple of more days with the same result. It was starting feel as if they would never find Ryo. Mia tried to cheer up the Ronin Warriors but even she was starting to feel the effects of not being able to find Ryo. It was after this that they caught a glimmer of hope and light.

"Yeah, I've seen someone like that," a woman said as she brought her toddler higher on her hip. "Strange boy, really; he was walking alongside a rich woman, wearing clothes that looked just as fine as yours and mine do."

Mia nodded her head to show she was listening. "Did you see anything else?" She asked.

The woman's fingers went to her lip as if she was thinking. "It was odd though," she commented. "That same boy was unconscious and being carried in a beefy man's arms when he went past me again. I've never seen that man around here before."

Mia's blood ran cold.


	3. Ryo, the One-man Army

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 3**

 _Ryo, the One-man Army_

"He was kidnapped?"

"That's what the woman said," Mia replied.

"That can't be possible," Kento protested. "Ryo can't be _kidnapped_."

Mia knew it sounded impossible – crazy even – for a single Ronin Warrior to be kidnapped. With their mystical armors it should have been _impossible_ for any of her boys to be kidnapped. _But the woman basically said that in a roundabout way when she told me that she had seen Ryo being carried away unconscious_.

"It's possible, Kento. Remember what had happened to me here," Sage reminded the purple-haired teenager.

Everyone knew that he was talking about when Shikaisen had kidnapped him. If Sage had been captured by him, wasn't it possible then for _Ryo_ to be kidnapped?

"But Ryo's got the Inferno!" Kento protested.

"Ryo could have been caught off guard, Kento," Rowen pointed out. "I don't think even the Inferno could have protected Ryo if he had been caught off guard."

"Rowen's right," Mia agreed. "The woman said nothing about Ryo looking injured."

Kento sat with his arms crossed. He didn't believe that Ryo could have been kidnapped.

Sage, on the other hand, was thinking of his own capture. If he hadn't been able to prevent his own, how could Ryo have with or without the Inferno?

"So let's say that Ryo's been kidnapped," Kento said, "what could be happening to him right now?"

Mia looked at each of the Ronins. She saw the worry clearly on their face even though Kento was trying to hide his. Even she was worried about what could be happening to the black-haired teenager as he hadn't come back to them yet.

…

Mason double checked his list. He wanted to make sure everyone he knew would get a party invitation. He wanted to throw another one of his parties even though it hadn't been long since the last.

Mason _loved_ throwing parties. It was one of the few things that he enjoyed besides making money. He loved making them as extravagant as possible.

The only difference this time was his money-maker. He didn't want anyone to know about him; Mason didn't even want to _share_ him. The Sorceress was the only one because he needed her to make sure the teenager didn't run away. Without her help, he knew that Wildfire would have escaped not long after he had woken up after being kidnapped by Mason's people.

Mason went to Ryo's prison. The gate was opened and the mercenary walked in. He didn't wait for the Sorceress this time. He wasn't worried that Ryo would attack him because of the Sorceress' Sealing Mark at the base of Ryo's neck. He felt perfectly safe since he would not be bringing the teenager out of his prison.

"Close the gate," he told his men. "Only open it when I come back."

The gate swung closed behind Mason. The man walked farther inside the prison to find the teenager. It wasn't that hard since the place didn't have that many rooms. He found who he was looking for sitting in the dining room with a fire going in the fireplace. _Does he do nothing except sit by a fire?_ The Sorceress had reported many times before that she had found that Ryo almost did nothing but sit in front of a fire.

The man stopped in the doorway.

"Ryo," the mercenary called. He waited until the teenager was looking at him. "There will be guests coming here tomorrow night. You are not to draw attention to yourself while they are here. Understood?"

Ryo nodded in resignation. At this point he knew that it was futile. If he couldn't get himself out of here, then who could rescue him from this fancy prison he was kept in? It may be part of a mansion and decorated with comfort in mind but it was still a prison as far as he was concerned.

Mason left Ryo's prison after his warning. Ryo just watched him go. Like with the guards from earlier, the teenager couldn't bring himself to harm the man.

…

Mason's first guests arrived right when the invitation had said the party would begin. He waited until all his guests had come before making his announcement. He stood on the stage where the band would be playing and called for everyone's attention.

"I would like to inform you that the grounds of my estate are off limits at this time. I know that some of you have roamed them over the years but I would like everyone to stay here, inside the ballroom. Thank you for your cooperation. I hope that you enjoy the party."

Mason stepped off of the platform. His guests returned to what they had been doing when he had made his announcement. They didn't think that Mason had anything hide from them.

Mason watched his guests from one of the tables to the side. He had a small plate of food in front of him that he slowly ate while he thought about his reason for making his estate's grounds off limits. To him, he had a good reason. He didn't want anyone to find the high walls of Ryo's prison that had recently been constructed. He wasn't worried that anyone would be able to see the charms that the Sorceress had put on the walls; every charm had been placed on the inside. That had been done to make sure that none would be able to see them.

…

Ryo listened to the music of the party outside of the mansion. He knew that the guests must be far away from how faint the music was heard. He missed his friends more right now because he could hear the people from the party. It was a hard reminder that the black-haired teenager was alone now.

He hoped that his friends would realize that something had happened to him by now. He hoped that they were searching for him. He wanted out and knew that the only way to get out of here was to force Mason and the Sorceress to let Ryo go. With the Ronins' armors, he knew that they would have no choice but to let him go.

He knew that they each had promised to never harm humans. They were here to protect them from threats like Talpa's Dynasty and those like Shikaisen. But he also knew that the Sorceress and Mason didn't know. If they did, they would not have even bothered with the guards when he had been taken out of his prison by the Sorceress.

Wildfire stayed outside listening to the partiers the whole time Mason's party was going. He didn't go back inside until it was completely quiet. Once he knew that the party was over, the teenager went inside to go to sleep.

The next day found Ryo once again sitting by the fire pit with a fire going inside it. The teenager just sat in front of the fire, staring blankly into it. It seemed that was all he wanted to do anymore. He _didn't_ really have anything else to do. He may be living in comfort but that didn't mean that they had had his entertainment in mind.

…

Mason went to the Sorceress later that day. He had come to talk to her about their prisoner. He wanted to know what she thought they should do to make sure that the teenager's 'performance' didn't decrease. He wanted his idea to work; he didn't want to lose money after the trouble he had gone through to find and kidnap the Ronin Warrior.

He found the Sorceress in his vast library. He sat in the chair next to hers and began their conversation.

"What will we do about Ryo for now?" The mercenary asked her. "I want to make sure that the boy will be able to continue to fight as well as last time."

She looked up from the book that she was reading. "You don't have to worry, Mason," she told him. "It won't be difficult for me to force that boy to fight. I was successful last time even though he hadn't wanted to fight."

Mason nodded his head. He did not doubt that she could force the teenager to fight. She had already proven it last time. It was the future he wanted her opinion on.

"Will we let him rest for some time or should I return to the black market tomorrow and make the second offer?"

The Sorceress' finger went to her lip as she thought.

"I think it would be best to let the boy rest for some time," she answered. "If we push him too hard, his performance will decrease and the possibility of you making more money will also decrease along with it."

Mason nodded in agreement.

"Then we will wait," the Sorceress decided.

…

The 4 Ronin Warriors, Mia and Yuli were still looking for Ryo. They now knew that Wildfire had been kidnapped but nothing more had come since then. Anyone they talked to didn't know where Ryo had been taken to. The teenagers and Mia were beginning to worry that they would never see the black-haired teenager again.

They didn't tell Yuli about their worry. They didn't want him to believe that he'd never see his hero again. No, instead, the only thing that was on the 10 year old's mind was the want to have Ryo back.

…

Ryo stared into the fire like usual. The only difference this time was the thoughts that were running through his head. What could have happened to him to make it where he had wound up here? He knew that the Inferno would have protected him. The armor didn't need the others if it was only needed for a few seconds to save Ryo's life. It had happened before so it wasn't impossible for the Inferno to materialize those few seconds needed to save Ryo's life.

The only explanation was that there had been _no threat_ to Ryo's life when Ryo had been captured.

 _But what could have happened then?_ He asked himself.

It was bugging him, this unable-to-remember thing. It was frustrating not being able to remember everything when he kept thinking about it. It was almost as if his mind was refusing to cooperate with him.

 _Am I scared to remember?_ He thought. _What part of it could have scared me? Am I even scared to remember?_

You would think that after Shikaisen, and battling Talpa and his Dynasty he wouldn't be scared of anything. He was sure that just the fights against Talpa would have given any normal person _nightmares_ for a long time. But Ryo and the other Ronin Warriors weren't _normal people_.

He closed his eyes as a memory slowly began coming into his mind.

…

 _"Why don't you have the first pick?" The young woman beside Ryo asked._

 _The black-haired teenager inspected the chocolate pieces as if they were the most important thing in the world. If he had been Kento, Wildfire was sure that it_ would _have seemed like the most important thing right then._

 _His eyes caught a single, medium sized piece with white frosting zigzagged across the top of it. He reached inside the box that was in her hands. He took it out and put it in his mouth. As he chewed he noticed a strange phenomena; it was as if the more he chewed the drowsier he became. He swallowed the piece of chocolate._

 _His eyes slowly went from the box of chocolates in her hands to her victorious smile. He tried to make his vision steady as it began to swim. He abruptly stood but he had to pause when he swayed._

 _"What did you do?" He slowly asked her._

 _She stood and gently patted his arm._

 _"It's okay, Ryo," she gently told him, "it's okay to go to sleep."_

 _He shook his head as he took a step back. Well, it was more like he tried to take a step back anyways. He almost fell over when he picked up his foot. He had to grab onto the young woman to keep himself standing._

 _The young woman took his arms and helped him sit. He fell onto his side as he fought to keep his eyes open._

Guys…help me _, he desperately thought as he tried to fight the darkness that was beginning to flood his mind._

 _The young woman gently patted the black-haired teenager's head as his eyes slid closed._

 _"Everything will be okay," she promised. "Just go to sleep."_

 _Ryo felt his body relax into the hard bench that was against his side. He was so tired at this point and all he wanted to do was sleep._

 _His mind was screaming at him to run but he was too tired to do so._

 _The woman looked behind him._

 _"Get ready," she said, "he's almost asleep."_

 _Ryo felt himself being picked up right before he fell asleep._

…

As the memory receded, all he felt was stupidity. He had been captured like _that_? That was almost pitiful. Couldn't he have fought like in those movies Sage liked watching? You know the ones where the hero goes down in a blaze of glory before being kidnapped?

He wondered what his friends, Mia and Yuli would think of they found out he had been captured like that. He could almost see Kento laughing at him while Cye tells Hardrock that the purple-haired teenager would also have been caught like that.

 _I just hope that none of the others get caught in this_ , Ryo thought. _I don't want them to go through what the Sorceress had done to me_.

And yet he also wondered what his friends would think if they knew what he had been forced to do.

He looked at the sky, thinking about the other Ronin Warriors. Did they already know that he had been kidnapped? Who could have told them? He didn't know how he had gotten here after he had fallen asleep. All he knew what that someone had picked him up before everything went black.

…

Mason returned to the fancy hotel that housed the black market. He walked inside like before and went straight to the room where it was located at. He swiped the card and walked inside. He sat in his seat and waited for the meeting to begin.

The young woman who had paid Mason came in with a smile. She sat and said "congratulations, Mason, on a job well done. You successfully subdued them without killing any of them."

Mason bowed slightly in his seat. "I'm glad that you are pleased," he replied.

"Will you be giving another bid for it?" The leader asked.

Mason nodded. "I am offering the same thing as last time: I will fight any fight for the person who pays the most."

The leader looked around the table. "Well?" He asked. "Is anyone going to bid on his offer?"

Mason saw the twinkling of interest in some of their eyes. _Excellent_ , he thought, _it's going according to plan_.

One of the 3 other men who sat at the table raised his hand. "I offer to pay for him to fight a group of people. I want them gone, however you wish to do it is up to you."

The bidding began as others tried to out bid each other. It didn't matter what it was; there were several different types of fights that the people in the room were bidding for. Mason just sat back and watched with much satisfaction as the bidding increased beyond what the young woman had paid for last time.

"Is that the highest bid?" The leader asked.

No one spoke. Mason could see that some looked frustrated while the man who had made the first bid looked quite pleased with himself.

"Very well," the leader said, "he has won this bid."

Mason could just _see_ the gavel tapping a wooden piece when their leader closed the bidding. There weren't many other offered bids after Mason's. When the meeting was over, the man who had paid for Mason's services came to the mercenary. They stood side-by-side looking out the only window. They finalized the offer as they stood there. By the time that it was time for Mason to go back to his estate, the details for it were finished.

Mason was driven back to his estate as he daydreamed of what Ryo would most likely be doing tomorrow. When his driver stopped the limousine in front of the front doors of Mason's mansion, the man got out of the car. He went inside the mansion and went straight for where he was sure the Sorceress would be right now. Sure enough, the Sorceress was in the room when the brunette man entered.

"How did it go?" She pleasantly asked as if she was asking about the weather.

"I was just paid for another fight," Mason told her as he leaned against the wall beside the door.

The Sorceress closed her book. The mercenary knew that he shouldn't read it. After all, Mason was _not_ a sorcerer so a book on the supernatural powers was basically off limits.

"What will the fight be this time?" She asked.

"I was just paid for Ryo to get rid of a group of people," he informed her.

"And do you wish for him to kill this time?" She asked.

Mason shrugged. "The man said that it didn't matter what way Ryo got rid of the people," he answered.

The Sorceress nodded. "Then there is no need to hold back this time," she stated.

Mason raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked.

The Sorceress sweetly smiled. "Ryo could have easily killed those people last time," she explained. "I held back because there was no reason for the boy to kill them."

Mason smiled at the picture which came to him.

"Do you think I will be paid more if Ryo kills at least one person?" He asked.

The woman shrugged. She tucked a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear. "I think it might," she answered truthfully. "Showing total domination like that might very well increase Ryo's worth in their eyes."

Mason frowned. "You mean _my_ worth," he corrected her, "I have not told them about Ryo. All they know is that I won the last fight."

The Sorceress raised her own eyebrow this time. "You have not told them?" She asked. "I'm surprised. Wouldn't the knowledge of Ryo and his power raise the amount you are paid?"

Mason shook his head. "They might take him away," he answered. "I am not letting that happen."

She shook her head. "Whatever you think is best," she told him.

Mason nodded his head to show that the conversation was done. He stood straight. "I'll tell you when I am paid like last time," he told her. He left the room without looking back.

The Sorceress calmly went back to her book that was still on her lap after he left.

Mason waited impatiently the rest of the day. He _hated_ waiting to be paid. This was the worst part of his way of life.

The next day, Mason's greedy eyes relished the amount of money he had just been paid. He logged off the program and closed it. He walked out of the room to find his partner in this whole situation of Ryo's.

"I've just been paid," he told her when he found the woman.

The Sorceress nodded to show that she had heard the man.

"When would you like me to have Ryo fight?" She asked.

"Now would be great." He replied.

She nodded again. She walked to Ryo's prison as she gathered the guards from last time. When she reached the gate, she had many with her. She placed her hand on the lock of the gate and said some unknown words. The gate unlocked and swung open. She turned to them.

"Stay here," she told them.

She went inside without waiting for their acknowledgement. She walked through the prison to where Ryo was sitting by the fire pit outside. She stopped behind him and only said the same 2 words as last time.

"We're leaving."

…

Ryo heard the light footsteps behind him. His body tightened with the thought of what was about to come. Would the Sorceress come for him again to only have him fight like last time? The teenager could feel the fear slowly creeping up. He didn't want to fight but she had somehow forced him to.

The light footsteps stopped behind him.

"We're leaving," the Sorceress said from behind him.

He slowly moved his head as if he didn't want to see who was behind him. When he saw the Sorceress in the same flowing, black dress, he just silently stood. From what had happened last time after he had reached where he had fought, he knew that resisting her was pointless. If she could force him to fight against his will, he was sure she could make him leave his prison even if he didn't want to.

The black-haired teenager walked behind the woman. He was led like a dog on a leash to the same minivan from last time. He sat in the same place and became frozen. His mind screamed for him to run but Ryo couldn't even lift a finger. He was completely helpless as he was taken to where he was sure he would be forced to fight.

The fear inside him kept growing as he was driven. He was scared that he would be forced to fight again. He _didn't_ want to fight. The wish to not fight was stronger this time as if his subconscious knew that something bad was about to happen.

When the minivan that he was inside of arrived at an abandoned area of town near an estate larger than Mason's, he was told to get out. Ryo helplessly stood by the van with all of the guards' guns pointing at him.

Ryo felt his connection to the Wildfire's soul come back. Instead of the happiness from last time, all he felt was dread.

The Sorceress came to Wildfire. The teenager's head moved away from her fingers as they came towards his forehead. The Sorceress' fingers still touched Ryo's forehead and she spoke the same words from last time. Ryo felt horror come even as the need to destroy crept up inside him again.

The Sorceress moved to the side. She smiled and motioned towards the building. "Get going," she said.

Ryo found himself walking inside the building. A bloodlust came out of nowhere and it terrified Ryo how his mind willingly drowned itself in that feeling.

Ryo's swords were in his hands before Ryo registered that he had moved to grab them.

"INTRUDER!" came from the side.

Ryo's helmeted head whipped to the side where the voice had come from. He found himself flying at the woman with a knife. His right sword went to cut off her head. Ryo fought _himself_ to just cut below her neck. He tried to warn her and beg her to run but his voice refused to work this time. His eyes could only beg for her to run before he killed her.

She turned tail and ran farther inside the abandoned building.

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER!" She screamed over and over as she ran.

Ryo's body went after the woman. When there were sounds of guns being fired, he stopped. His eyes scanned the rafters. When he found his prey he jumped onto the beam. He landed on his feet in a crouch. He turned to find the only person there just staring at him like he was a circus freak. Ryo supposed that was probably exactly what the teenager looked like right now.

Ryo's sword snaked out. The blade pierced the shoulder of his prey. When he pulled out his sword, the person he had just injured fell. Ryo watched his prey catch himself on the edge of a walkway that wasn't far from him.

He jumped to a beam that should have been impossible to reach. Much to his relief no one was there. Wildfire jumped down and ran down the hall below him. His eyes and hearing kept on alert as he ran past dark, empty rooms. There was some breathing in a room to his left and Ryo pivoted on his heel. His foot hit the closed door and it flew off its hinges and smacked into the wall on the opposite side.

Ryo heard some shuffling beside him in the complete darkness. His left sword left his hand as he threw it at the person hiding in the darkness of the room. There was a gurgling sound and Ryo saw a young man fall into the light of the hall, right in front of Wildfire's feet. Ryo's hand went to the hilt of his left sword and pulled it out of the young man's throat. Ryo only looked down as if to make sure that his prey was dead. He saw the lifeless eyes that were frozen in a pained look. Ryo found he could move back a few steps.

The teenager could feel the tears brimming hotly in his eyes.

 _No…_ , he thought, _this can't be happening_.

There was a crash and a sound of an engine roaring as it left the abandoned building that Ryo had just dominated.

Ryo found himself returning to the Sorceress. The teenager found that his eyes didn't move from looking at the ground as he walked. He stood in front of his prison keeper and waited.

"You did well," the Sorceress complemented. "They're gone just like Mason had been paid to do."

Ryo's head lifted to show disbelieving eyes. Mason was getting _paid_ to force Ryo to fight? That was just wrong.

The Sorceress locked Ryo's Sealing Mark. The teenager felt his connection with the Wildfire's soul disappear. For probably the first time in his life, he was glad that he couldn't wear his armor. Killing that man had shaken him up. The woman's fingers went to Ryo's forehead like before and Ryo felt the bloodlust and need to destroy leave him. He felt his shoulders sag.

There was a push on his shoulder from one of the guards' guns.

"Get going," he was told, "we're going back."

Ryo obediently got into the minivan and sat in the same seat. The Sorceress sat beside him and Ryo was frozen in his seat. The teenager spent the entire ride back to his prison trying to forget that man's face. He didn't want to remember those eyes looking back at him.

When Wildfire was returned to the teenager's prison, he walked straight outside. He bypassed his bedroom, the dining room and didn't stop on the terrace when he reached outside. He started a fire in the fire pit and lay on the ground next to it. He tried to think of his friends; he tried to think of _anything_ but the man he had just killed. He lay there trying to forget the face that showed the pain the man must have felt as he died.

Ryo knew by now when dinner was. He knew he should have felt hungry, especially after – _don't think about it_ , he told himself – he had just been put through. But the feeling of being hungry never did come. He doubted that even Kento would have eaten if he had just gone through what Ryo had been forced to do. None of the Ronins had killed before. He knew that the Halo armor had terrorized Los Angeles but Sage himself never had to personally kill someone. Ryo wished the same would have happened today.

RME: I felt like I kept jumping between the 3 different groups. I don't think that any of these segments were really long. For some reason, I felt as if there was too much jumping from group to group in this chapter.


	4. The Protective Nature of the Inferno

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

RME: I wonder how many people have been waiting for what's going to happen in this chapter…

 **Chapter 4**

 _The Protective Nature of the Inferno_

Sage, Rowen, Kento, Cye, Yuli and Mia were surprised when they received more information on their kidnapped friend. This time it wasn't as 'good' as the first. It seemed that Ryo had been seen by people but had never been in the same place twice. The oddest part of the whole information that they had been given was the fact that Ryo was never alone. People with guns that always seemed pointed at him always seemed to be with Wildfire.

The 6 of them returned to Mia and Yuli's hotel room after dinner. Sage and Rowen sat on Yuli's bed with Kento sprawled over Mia's. Cye just sat on the floor with his back against the wall while Mia and Yuli took the only 2 chairs in the room.

"What is happening to Ryo, Mia?" Yuli asked.

It was Cye that answered the boy's question. "Truthfully, none of us really know, Yuli," he replied.

"But why was he kidnapped in the first place and why is he being seen with people pointing guns at him?" Kento asked.

Mia shook her head. "It could mean anything, Kento," she told the purple-haired boy. "If we can find out why he had been kidnapped we might be able to figure out why Ryo's being seen with those people."

"It's the _fact_ that he's being seen with guns pointed at him that has me worried," Sage pointed out. "Do they know about at least one of the armors inside him?"

"If they do, I hope it's only the Wildfire they know about," Rowen answered. "It scares me to think what they would do if they knew about the Inferno."

Kento nodded from his position looking at the ceiling. He rolled onto his stomach and propped his chin on his arms. "They'd probably be _way_ more cautious if they knew about the Inferno," he agreed. "I don't think that Ryo would even be seen if they knew the protective nature of that armor."

Sage nodded. "Remember Saranbo from right after Ryo had received the Inferno. At least the first time the Inferno had forced itself onto Ryo to save his life."

"Yeah. Do you remember the second?" Rowen asked.

Kento smiled. "That guy never knew what hit him," he answered.

"Then you've got the third and fourth time," Sage pointed out.

"There was a fourth?" Rowen asked. He didn't remember any beyond the third time the Inferno had saved his friend's life.

"Yep," Kento answered for Sage. "It was during that trip that we took during last summer. All of us almost died back then."

"I think that was the only time that Ryo's white armor ever saved our lives as well as his," Sage reminded the others.

"That actually happened?" Yuli asked.

"Totally," Kento answered. "You weren't there because your parents had taken you to Tokyo when we went on that trip."

"Not even Mia was there," Cye added.

"Kidnapping, people; remember Ryo's been kidnapped?" Sage reminded them.

Mia nodded. "Sage is right," she told the other 3 Ronins in the room, "Ryo's predicament is more important right now."

Sage nodded. "You're right," he told Mia.

"But what _is_ happening to him, anyways?" Kento asked. "It's not normal for a kidnapper to let the person they had kidnapped be seen."

Cye nodded. "He's got a point," he told the others. "Wouldn't whoever kidnapped Ryo want to keep him hidden?"

Mia's fingers crossed each other. "Isn't that what we are trying to figure out right now?" She asked.

Sage's eyes went to the ceiling. "What if it's to show off Ryo for some reason?"

"Why would they do something like that?" Kento asked.

Rowen looked at Sage thoughtfully. "Like as if to prove a point to someone?"

Sage nodded. "Something like that," he agreed.

"What if they are in the middle of transporting him to somewhere?" Cye suggested.

"Where would they take him, Cye?" Kento pointed out.

The brunette opened his mouth as if to say something only to close it a few seconds later.

"Exactly my point," Kento told him.

"If it's not to prove a point or transport him somewhere, then why is he being seen? Why was he kidnapped in the first place?"

"Do they even have a reason?" Sage asked.

Rowen looked at the blonde.

"What do you mean, Sage?" Strata asked.

"Well, maybe there _isn't_ a reason," Sage told him. "Maybe it was a fluke or something."

Kento gave Halo a _are you kidding me?_ look. "Don't all kidnappers have a reason?" The purple-haired teenager asked.

"Sage is right, Kento," Mia interrupted. "I don't think a person always _needs_ a reason to kidnap another."

"Then what is happening to Ryo?" Yuli asked again.

Kento rolled onto his side. His left elbow went on the bed so his hand could hold up his head. "Don't really know, Yuli," he truthfully answered.

"…and we're back to square one," Sage added.

No one could say anything to that observation. How could they? They didn't have enough information to _know_ anything.

…

There wasn't much that Wildfire could do right now. He friends weren't with him so he couldn't talk to them and no one was around to do something with. It was getting to the point that he wished the Sorceress came back to take him to those fights that seemed Mason was being paid for. _Do they know it's_ me _who's fighting, not_ him _?_ Ryo wished that was true. Maybe if people knew his friends, Mia and Yuli might know where he was.

With the thought of the Sorceress coming back to get him came the memories of the 2 fights he had been trying to forget about. Those were the only things that he wished the most to forget right now. Wildfire thought that he might be able to handle being a prisoner if they weren't forcing him to fight.

Darkness was spreading outside. Ryo doused the fire and went inside. He had already eaten so the only thing left to do really was go to sleep for the night.

The teenager lay in bed staring at the invisible ceiling above him. He was trying to sleep but sleep wouldn't come.

He didn't know when he was able to finally dream. The only thing he knew was that he didn't want the nightmare that came with it.

…

 _Ryo ran through the rooms which were inside a place that he couldn't remember coming to. The doors always slid open only to shut right after he had entered. It was eerily like the first fight with Talpa._

 _"Guys, where are you!" Ryo called for what seemed like the eighth time._

 _It was dead silent as he continued to run through room after room. When he came to the next room Ryo tried to turn back. He knew that this place was familiar but didn't know why. Wildfire felt like he was forgetting something – something important._

 _Hands came from the side to latch onto his armor which he didn't remembering putting on._

 _"Murderer!" They cried from the darkness. "Murderer!"_

 _Ryo tried to take a step backwards but found himself frozen. Wide-eyed he saw a beautiful woman in a flowing, black dress come from the shadows in front of him. She smiled and silkily asked "are you ready?"_

 _The black-haired teenager found himself eagerly nodding in excitement._

 _The woman turned to the side. "Have fun," she said with her smile never leaving._

 _Ryo drew his swords. He looked to the side where the hands had come from. His swords went in that direction. There was a spark of steel on blade that lit up a woman's face. There was surprise clearly written there as she blocked his attack._

 _Ryo felt himself smile like a maniac._

 _"Leave me alone," the unknown woman begged as she backed up. Ryo's sword flew in her direction. Before it could hit her, the woman disappeared. The Wildfire's sword materialized back in Ryo's hand without him picking it up._

 _The boy continued on to the next room. It was completely dark but Ryo could distinctly hear someone breathing. For some reason that simple, single sound made horror fill him. He felt like he knew what was about to happen._

 _Ryo threw his sword into the darkness. There was a gurgling sound that sounded familiar. A single, lone young man fell at his feet. The young man's eyes were accusing him even as blood was quickly flowing out of his neck._

 _"Murderer," the young man clearly hissed, "you killed me."_

 _Ryo bent down to see the young man's face clearer._

 _"Why aren't you dying?"The teenager asked._

 _"Because you already killed me," he replied._

 _A bloodied hand stroked Wildfire's cheek._

 _Ryo fell backwards until he was sitting above the young man. He looked at his bare hands to see blood dripping down them. The teenager began to scream._

…

Ryo screamed as his eyes flew open. It took a couple of seconds for the terror that the nightmare had caused to leave him. When the teenager was finally able to steady his breathing he sat up and tightly hugged his body.

He tightly closed his eyes, trying to stop seeing the dead young man in his mind. He didn't want to see those eyes, didn't want to see that face anymore. He didn't want to _think_ right now. He couldn't handle much more of this. He needed out before it was too late.

He lay in bed for the rest of night, vainly trying to think of a way – _any way_ – to get out of his prison. Each one was blocked by something. The tracking bracelet almost made it _impossible_ to get away from the Sorceress and Mason. He could figure out what to do about the Sealing Mark once he returned to his friends, Mia and Yuli. If nothing more Sage, Cye, Kento and Rowen could help protect him from them until he could figure out how to remove the Sealing Mark from around his neck.

When the sun rose, Ryo went straight to the fire pit outside. While the fire blazed in it, he kept trying to think of a way to escape. As he watched the fire, an idea slowly formed. Metal always melted in fire at some point. With his ability of never being burned, couldn't he just stick his wrist and hand into the fire and just _wait_ for the metal to burn off of his wrist? It wasn't like he would even feel the heat anyways.

Silently, he stood and went closer to the fire pit. When he was right in front of it, his hand reached out towards the fire. There wasn't any fear present in him as he stuck first his hand then wrist into the blazing fire. Then he waited.

But the bracelet never even melted.

Ryo eventually took out his wrist when he realized that his plan of burning the tracking bracelet off wasn't going to work.

He looked at the innocent-looking thing that had been put on his wrist when he had first been brought here.

 _Why didn't it melt?_

…

Mason came to Ryo the next day. He stood behind the teenager and cleared his throat. When Wildfire turned to look at him, the mercenary began speaking.

"People will be coming tomorrow again," Mason told the teenager. "Do not draw any attention to yourself. You understand?"

Ryo nodded. "I'll be quiet," he promised. _After all it's useless, right?_

Mason left after Ryo had given his promise.

Like last time, Mason stood on the stage and waited for his guests to come the next night. When the room became crowded, he began the same speech as last time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please," he called.

The noise in the room quieted as everyone looked to their host.

"I regret to inform you that the grounds of my estate are still off limits. They are right now in the process of changing. Thank you for your cooperation. I hope you enjoy tonight."

The man left the stage and went to one of the side walls to watch his guests dance and mingle. People came to talk to him but none asked why Mason had suddenly decided to change the look of his grounds after so many years of it being kept the same.

Mason immensely enjoyed his extravagant party like usual.

…

As Ryo listened to the music through the open windows and the noise that a large group of people made, he couldn't help but wish they had the ability to free him from his prison.

He looked to the sky and thought about his friends. Rowen would have liked tonight; the full moon could clearly be seen above him. Sage wouldn't be as uncomfortable with the moon shining like now. He wondered if Cye would have liked floating on his back in the pool just looking at the sky.

Ryo looked at the faded lights of the party beyond the walls of his prison. He wondered what those parties were like. Mason had always given the feeling those 2 times that he had come to warn Ryo that he at least liked throwing parties. Wildfire was just surprised that the mercenary kept bringing his party guests to his own estate when Ryo's prison was so close to it. Wasn't he afraid that someone would have found the high walls that surrounded a small part of the man's grounds?

The teenager wondered if _that_ would be the man's downfall. Ryo knew he would eventually be rescued; he _had_ to believe it. After the failed attempt of burning the tracking bracelet on Ryo's wrist, he didn't have many options left.

The teenager continued sitting by the blazing fire pit while lost in his thoughts. He was finally shaken out of his internal focus when he found that it was dead silent. He looked over the wall to see that the lights from the party were gone.

 _When did it end?_ He asked himself. He couldn't remember when the party had finished.

He put out the fire and went inside. He went to his bedroom and climbed into his bed. Unlike the night before, the black-haired teenager was able to quickly fall asleep.

…

Soon after Mason's party, the man went back to the black market. He went inside the room to find that everyone was looking at him. The mercenary sat down in his regular seat and waited for the meeting to begin.

"Well done, Mason," the man who had paid Mason congratulated. "I'm surprised that you were able to get rid of those people with only killing one of them."

Mason bowed in his seat. "I'm glad that you are pleased," the man lightly said.

The leader gave Mason a suspicious look. "Have you come to give another offer?" He asked. "It seems that is the only time you come now."

Mason nodded. "Yes, I have," he agreed. He looked at the other 7 people around the table. "Is there a fight one of you wishes me to take care of?"

Another of the 3 men in the room put his finger on his cheek as if he was thinking.

"There is something," the man said as he focused on the mercenary of the group. "There is an army from another black market which has been bothering my people lately. I'd like you to make them go away."

"I also have one," the woman in the rich clothes said. "There are a lot of people who have gathered as an army. I am afraid that they will attack my people if they are not taken care of."

Mason nodded but inside the man was worried. Ryo may have an awesome amount of power but Mason didn't know if even that power was strong enough to fight against a lot of people alone. He didn't want to take away the possibility of being paid more money so he kept his mouth shut. He would find a way to deal with that problem if it ever arose. This was his living after all.

"Shall we begin?" The leader asked.

The people around the table nodded. The leader opened the bid. The man was the first to make a bid. The woman in the rich clothes quickly out bid him. The bidding quickly went higher than the 2 times the Mason had given his offer.

Eventually the man won. The man smiled in victory. "Maybe next time," he cheerfully told the fuming woman in the rich clothes.

"Make the payment to the usual account," Mason reminded the man.

Mason's next employer nodded. "Of course," he answered. The man gave Mason the directions to the army that the mercenary would fight.

Mason stayed for the rest of the meeting but his mind wasn't on the different biddings that were being made. Instead, his mind was on the future fight that Ryo would do for him.

When the meeting ended, Mason was the first to leave the room. He was driven back to his estate. When Mason entered the entryway, he waited long enough for one of his servants to take his coat before going to find the only other person who was part of his plan. He found her in her lab.

"I've got another offer," Mason told her after leaning his back against the doorway.

The woman looked up from the book on the table in front of her. "Oh?" She asked. "What is it this time?"

Mason happily smiled. "The best yet," he answered. "One of the men from there paid for me to fight an army."

The Sorceress walked to the mercenary. "Why an army this time?" She asked him.

"Another black market's army is bothering the people of one of the men in the one I am a part of," he answered.

The Sorceress cocked her head. "Are there more than one?" She asked.

Mason nodded. "There are at least 3 other ones that I know of," he answered. "Los Angeles is a huge city so it's no surprise that it would have many of them."

The Sorceress leaned her side against the wall by the door with her arms folded. "I see," she murmured. Louder she asked "so we wait for the payment like usual before sending Ryo out?"

Mason grinned. "Of course," he answered. "Wouldn't want to work for free, right?"

The Sorceress smiled. "I see," she simply said.

Mason left the Sorceress' lab at that point. He wanted to check his bank account to see if the man had already paid him. Much to his disappointment, today's date wasn't on the list. Mason sat in his sitting room waiting impatiently for the money to come.

It wasn't till the next day that Mason received the payment. This time it was later than usual and it put Mason in a bad mood. He went to the Sorceress, told her that he had just been paid and to take Ryo to the army now, then went back to his rooms to sulk like a child.

…

Ryo heard the Sorceress long before she came into view. He knew that she was the only one who wore heels that came to 'see' him. It had only ever been her and Mason that had come inside the Ronin Warrior's prison.

Wildfire stood and waited. He watched for when the Sorceress would appear. The teenager knew why the Sorceress had come. He didn't want to be forced to fight again after killing that man last time. He wished he could fight against the Sorceress' mysterious power. At least _that_ wasn't human so Ryo had no problem with fighting it.

"I see you are ready, Ryo," the woman said when she came into view.

Ryo didn't say anything. He just walked out of his prison behind the Sorceress like before with the guns pointed at him like usual. _Do they really think I'll fight them?_ He thought as he walked. He would have snickered at the image of Ryo scaring the guards just by drawing his swords if he wasn't in a situation where that _was_ what he did.

He went inside the minivan that was waiting for them outside of the mansion. Ryo sat in his usual seat and just waited to be frozen like all the times before. His eyes watched the scenery as he was driven through the city. It wasn't long before the teenager noticed that they were not leaving the extremely populated areas of the city.

 _What is going on?_ He asked himself as he watched the buildings go by the van. _Every time before now, we'd always head away from the city_. His gut twisted with the thought of what would happen this time.

The minivan stopped by an estate that seemed smaller than Mason's. He left the van and waited. The Sorceress came to the teenager.

"Things are a little different," she told him. "You are to fight an actual army this time. Incapacitate them but do not be injured yourself. After all, Mason needs you uninjured, Ryo."

Ryo could only numbly acknowledge her words. He waited for his connection to the Wildfire to be given back. He remained immobile as the Sorceress' fingers touched his forehead with the words being spoken like before. He became terrified when the need to destroy started creeping up inside him.

The Sorceress stood back. "Now go," she told him, "and good luck, Ryo."

Ryo felt his legs moving and taking him to a place that was close to where the estate was located. It wasn't long before the first attack came. His swords readied themselves as he stood his ground. Wildfire waited there for the enemy to come.

"He's only got 2 swords!" a female voice said from far away from him.

Wildfire assumed that the female believed that he couldn't hear her because he was so far away. He wouldn't have if he was normal. His armor had given him the ability to hear farther away than normal people; all of the Ronins had that ability. Yuli used to complain about it at the beginning.

Ryo heard a ton of loud footsteps. He was surprised at the humongous amount of people that were running at him.

"Kill the idiot!" someone yelled as they ran.

Much to the teenager's surprise, this battle was different than all of the ones before. He saw that at least half of his enemies had swords like he did. The surprise didn't last long, though, because Ryo had to suddenly protect himself. The enemies that had the swords were skilled – maybe even more skilled than _him_.

There was a sound as a bullet ricocheted against his armor close to his exposed neck. Ryo dodged the next bullet. He rolled away and quickly stood again. His sword went for the neck of the nearest enemy but hit the enemy's blade.

Ryo jumped high into the air. He fell with his left leg stretched out. There was a crunch as his enemy's nose broke. Ryo flipped back a couple of times in the air. He landed on his feet. His right foot went in front of his chest. It slammed into the chest of the enemy running at him. Ryo's swords stopped an enemy's sword from beheading him.

There was a sound as another bullet ricocheted near his shoulder. Ryo flipped over many of his attackers. He landed, back facing them. He spun on his heel with swords out. There was a cry of pain. Ryo's sword sank a little into another enemy's side.

Wildfire's hands tightened on his swords' hilts. The teenager wasn't about to let a sword drop.

Ryo's right leg swept out. It tripped an enemy. Ryo jumped over the enemy as the person fell. His swords went through their shoulders. Wildfire quickly pulled them out. He hurriedly crossed them before himself. A sword's blade was caught between them.

Another bullet ricocheted against Ryo's helmet. Wildfire ducked before another could hit his forehead.

"You fools! _Aim_ for his exposed neck and head!" Someone cried behind Ryo.

Ryo dodged a round of bullets from the side. He rolled a few steps away then shot to his feet. He jumped over an oncoming sword then flipped behind the swordsman. He spun on his heel. Wildfire's sword embedded itself into the enemy's back. The person went down with a cry.

"Gabriel!" A female cried from behind Ryo.

Ryo jumped forward before he could be hit. The teenager flipped head over feet. He landed behind another enemy. His mind screamed for the person to run as Ryo's sword went for his enemy's neck. Wildfire forced his sword down to hit their upper back.

"Be careful!" A male yelled. "He's better than the thugs who came before him!"

Ryo would have smiled if the situation wasn't so serious. _He_ was compared to a _thug_?

Ryo flipped over an oncoming sword. Another bullet ricocheted of the back of his helmet.

 _I need to watch for those bullets_ , he told himself. _They're aiming for the only places that aren't protected by the Wildfire_.

Another handful of bullets came from the left. Ryo's eyes barely caught them in time to drop. The bullets barely missed his helmet's horns.

 _This is too much for me to fight alone_ , the teenager realized. _I'll die before I can finish this_.

"DIIIIIIEEEEE!" Someone yelled from behind him.

Ryo ducked. Somehow he was able to feel the wind from the attack. He jumped and spun on his heels. He saw a teenager his age before his sword hit his enemy's sword.

"Where did you _get_ that armor?" The teenager asked incredulously.

Wildfire didn't say anything. He couldn't. After the first fight, the Sorceress had effectively sealed his mouth. All he could do was give the teenager a pained look. It was as if he was saying _please don't stay_. The teenager didn't get the message.

"Tell me, where did you _get_ that armor?" The teenager asked again.

This time the Ronin shook his head. He gave the other a _run!_ look. _Why doesn't he get the hint?_ He asked himself.

Wildfire's swords came from both sides.

"Jacob!" A female yelled in panic behind Ryo.

"Sis, don't come!" The teenager commanded.

Ryo's head moved to look behind him. He saw the young woman running towards him.

"Should you really look away?" A male's voice asked.

The Ronin's head whipped around fast enough to see the oncoming bullet. Ryo ducked again. He rolled to the side. He spun on his heel. Another bullet ricocheted against the Wildfire's chest.

Ryo jumped higher than before. There were several gasps below him.

"How is that _possible_?" Someone muttered. Ryo heard him perfectly.

Ryo pulled his legs to his chest. He flipped in the air. He fell with his swords held above him. The teenager's feet smashed into an enemy's chest.

Wildfire felt as if he was slowly dominating them. He didn't like the satisfaction that welled up in him. It almost seemed as if the need to destroy was _purring_ in his head. Ryo wanted to close his eyes and curl up in his bed.

Ryo flipped over the prone enemy. He took a second to reorient himself. All the spinning and flipping was getting to him.

Ryo was hit on the side by a sword he didn't see coming. His body contoured around the area. Wildfire purposely fell to his opposite side. His palm hit the ground on top of his sword's hilt. Ryo flipped sideways.

 _Ow…_ , he thought. He had felt the humongous force behind the sword. _Do they have someone as strong as Kento?_ He worriedly thought.

Ryo's mind growled insults at the one who had hit him. The need to destroy that was inside him wasn't happy. Only _it_ was allowed to do something like that.

Ryo was hit by a bullet dangerously close to his neck. The teenager was slowly losing focus. If it didn't end soon he'd be in trouble. It had been a long time since he had had to concentrate like this. After Talpa's Dynasty left, he hadn't needed to.

Ryo didn't see the sword coming for his neck.

The Inferno, however, did.

Ryo felt that familiar rush of power greater than the Wildfire's.

 _NO!_ He desperately thought.

Ryo could feel the Inferno take over the Wildfire's place. There was a great, white light that surrounded Ryo.

Fire consumed Ryo's body. The black-haired teenager felt his body go through the motions.

There were screams from outside of the Inferno's fire.

"HE'S ON FIRE!" Someone yelled in terror.

The fire suddenly died.

…

At Mia's place, White Black became Black Blaze.

The tiger gave a loud roar to the sky.

…

Ryo's arms shot down. His arms silently quickly went above him.

 _RAGE OF INFERNO!_ His mind screamed.

A huge, pure white light shot out from in front of Ryo.

When the light died all that was left was an extremely wide smoldering, crater where over half of the army had been.

RME: HA! How was that surprise? Things just got more interesting…


	5. Mason's Desire

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

RME: I know that people are reading this story but none have reviewed yet. Please review, guys.

 **Chapter 5**

 _Mason's Desire_

The Sorceress could only watch in disbelief as she watched the sheer amount of massive destruction that Ryo had done in the white armor that he had changed into. Over half of the army that Mason had been paid to fight had been completely disintegrated in one attack. There wasn't even any sign that people had been there just a few seconds ago. All that she saw was a huge, smoldering crater that ran for _miles_ in front of Ryo.

 _This in unbelievable_ , she thought as she watched Ryo just stand there with his back facing her. The little amount left of the people that he had been fighting was running away in terror.

 _This power from that white armor of Ryo's is way over double the power of his normal red_.

The Sorceress watched as the white armor caught on fire. When that fire disappeared, Ryo returned to his red armor. She saw the boy stagger as if he was suddenly tired. She forced him to start walking back to her and the guards as she thought about what she had witnessed.

That 'unknown entity' that she had felt the first time Ryo had fought came back to her. _This must be what that is_ , she thought, _it's the only explanation_.

Excitement ran through the woman.

…

Ryo felt as if all he wanted to do right now was _sleep_. He was tired from those few precious seconds that it had taken for the Inferno to save his life. Wildfire hadn't felt this tired since right after he had first received the white armor. He wondered if it was because the Inferno only had _his_ own energy to draw from since Rowen and the others weren't with him.

As he walked back to his prison keeper, all Ryo could feel was panic. The Sorceress had just witnessed the Inferno's _power_. He had been scared after the first time he had been forced to fight that the Sorceress and Mason knew about his other armor. When the Sorceress hadn't said anything and the Inferno hadn't come out to save Ryo's life, Ryo had relaxed thinking that they would never know of the white armor that he carried inside alongside the Wildfire's soul and his own.

He stood in front of the Sorceress with his mind running a mile a minute. _What is going to happen now?_ He thought as he waited. _Will they find out the truth behind the Inferno's power?_ Ryo knew that he wasn't going to tell them no matter what. He wanted to protect his friends and the only way was to keep his mouth shut.

Ryo felt his connection to the Wildfire's soul disappear. Inside him, where the Inferno armor resided, there was a movement as if it protested the removal of that connection. Ryo could only ignore it as the Sorceress touched his forehead and said those same words from all the times before.

The Sorceress was silent as she moved aside. Ryo felt himself move again. He went inside the minivan and sat by the window like he usually did. This time, after everyone else piled in, Ryo saw/felt the guns being pointed at him. It was as if they didn't trust him to 'be good' and not do anything. He spent the entire trip back with those guns never moving away.

When they arrived back at Mason's estate, Ryo was escorted to his prison via the guns. The Sorceress walked behind Ryo and the guards this time. It was if none of those people trusted Ryo to not kill them. The teenager couldn't blame them; another unknown armor had just manifested that none of them knew about. He was sure that they believed that Ryo could create that armor again just because the Sorceress hadn't forced him to. The black-haired teenager wished it were that simple. The Inferno had only been able to create itself for those few precious seconds because of its protectiveness over Ryo's life. That was the only reason that it had been able to be created since the other 4 Ronins weren't with him.

The metal gate to his prison opened and several guns pushed him forward from behind him.

"Get in," one of the guards gruffly told him.

Ryo obediently obeyed. He didn't want to make his situation worse. He didn't even _know_ what was going to happen to him. Instead he just went to his bedroom with the 5 beds. After taking off his sneakers, he crawled into bed without even bothering to change. Like a scared little child, he curled up under his blankets. He wished that this whole thing was just a nightmare, that one of his friends would wake him.

The teenager couldn't fall asleep because of the fear growing inside him. What would happen to him now?

…

The Sorceress didn't wait to go to Mason when they returned. Once Ryo had been escorted to his prison and the gate shut behind him, the woman left to find her partner in this plan. She couldn't wait to tell him about what Ryo had done earlier. She knew that _he_ would also be excited. She knew that the man was greedy – why else would he capture a teenager with a powerful, mysterious armor just to sell his ability to fight for money?

The Sorceress went impatiently through the mansion, looking for that lone mercenary. _Why of all times can't I find him?_

She eventually went to her rooms to use her mirror to locate the idiot. Much to her surprise, the man she was looking for was waiting for her in her sitting room.

"I see you're back," he stated as he waited for her to shut the door.

The Sorceress went to the couch and sat close to the brunette man. "I have news for you," she told him after getting comfortable. "Something interesting happened when I took Ryo to that fight."

The man's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. "Did something happen to the boy?" He asked.

The Sorceress shook her head. "No," she answered. "It's the opposite really."

Mason's eyebrow was raised. "How so?" He asked.

"I just found out what that 'unknown entity' I told you about after Ryo's first fight is." The Sorceress smiled. "It turns out there is another armor inside the boy. _That_ is the unknown entity."

"There is another armor inside Ryo?" He asked her.

She nodded. "That armor is amazing though," she told him. "There were a huge amount of people there. When that armor came out, over half of them disappeared in a big, pure white light. All that was left was a huge smoldering crater that ran for miles in front of the boy. That armor, Mason, has at least over double of the power of Ryo's red armor."

Mason's eyes lit up. "What does it look like?" He eagerly asked. He _loved_ this new development. If Mason could use that _power_ of Ryo's second armor he was sure he'd be a lot richer than he was right now.

"Strangely enough, it's almost purely white. The upper half and helmet are the only things that have any color."

Mason smiled.

"How do we get that armor?" He asked her. "I _want_ that armor."

This time it was the Sorceress' turn to smile.

…

Sage, Rowen, Kento, Cye, Mia and Yuli decided to move another part of Los Angeles. They had exhausted the possibility of getting any more information about Ryo. Even after all this time they had only been able to gather a few, precious pieces of information that didn't help whatsoever in finding their missing friend.

They were getting worried. They had a feeling that Ryo's situation – whatever it was – had just gotten worse.

…

Ryo was taken to a room void of any furniture. All that was there were shackles that were connected to a wall the opposite of the door. He was forced to sit and the chains were hooked onto his wrists. The guards who had taken him to the room left.

Then all he could do was wait. A thousand different possibilities ran through his mind of what was about to happen. Did any of this have to do with what happened when he fought? He didn't know and that was what scared him the most. He could only sit and wait for whatever was about to happen to him.

Ryo didn't know how long he sat there. When he finally heard footsteps coming towards the room that he had been taken to, he felt like he had been alone for a while. Almost like one of those movies that Kento liked watching, the door slowly opened. If Ryo wasn't so scared he might have at least smiled at the similarity. As it was, his heart leapt into his throat as he watched Mason and the Sorceress enter _alone_.

The door closed behind the 2. The Sorceress stood by the door as Mason crossed the room. He stood in front of the teenager and just looked him up and down, almost as if accessing the worth of something. Wildfire felt exposed for some reason.

"Where did that white armor come from?" He asked. There was no pleasantry in the mercenary's voice.

Ryo stayed silent, glaring at his captor. He wouldn't say anything – he _wouldn't_ bring his friends into this. He had to protect them from the hands of this man; he couldn't put his friends in danger.

Mason slapped Ryo's cheek _hard_. Ryo's face went to the side from the force.

"I asked you a question, Ryo," the man told the teenager.

Ryo just glared at the brunette man as if he was daring the mercenary.

"Mason, let me try," the Sorceress said.

The man walked to stand by the door. The woman came to the teenager. She bent down so that she was eye level with his blue eyes. Her hand went out and she gently touched Ryo's cheek. He heard her speak words that he could not understand. Then the oddest thing happened.

For the first time that Ryo could remember, his cheek began to get hot. That feeling quickly turned into pain as her hand _burned_ his cheek. It wasn't long before the teenager started screaming from the pain that was intensifying. The Sorceress' hand didn't move from his cheek even as he screamed. After a few minutes, the Sorceress finally spoke.

"Ryo," she gently said, "will you tell me about that white armor that's inside you?"

Ryo continued to keep quiet even as tears began to well up from the pain. He wouldn't even tell her the Inferno's _name_. If he even told her just the white armor's name, he was afraid that he would tell her _everything_.

 _Think of the guys_ , he kept reminding himself over and over.

The Sorceress hand left Ryo's cheek. She put it on the teenager's head. This time different words were spoken that Ryo still couldn't understand.

Wildfire began to feel pain _inside_ him even though he had not been injured. That pain spread throughout him and began to course through his _entire body_. Ryo bit his lip to stop the screams that he felt coming.

The Sorceress never took her hand off his head even as the pain kept running through inside him.

"Ryo," she gently asked, "will you tell me about that white armor of yours now?"

Even though he was in pain, the teenager continued to refuse to tell the woman. He didn't want the Sorceress make him fight with the Inferno if Ryo gave her the information she wanted.

The woman removed her hand. She stood and turned to Mason who was still waiting by the door.

"Let's leave for now," she told the mercenary. "We'll leave Ryo alone for a while."

Mason nodded. He opened the door and walked out. The Sorceress left the room without stopping the pain that Ryo still felt coursing through his body. The door was shut and the footsteps of the 2 went away from the room that Ryo was still inside of.

At first the pain was livable – if it could even be called that – and Ryo just sat there. But the pain began to intensify. Ryo tried his hardest to not make a sound.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ryo finally screamed.

He kept screaming, only getting louder as the pain turned into _agony_. He tried to not give in; he knew that was what the Sorceress wanted.

"PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!" Ryo eventually began screaming.

"PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT THE INFERNO!" The teenager begged. "PLEASE JUST MAKE IT STOP! I'M _BEGGING_ YOU, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"

Soon Ryo began to feel like he was going unconscious. He continued to beg for the Sorceress to stop the pain even as the edges of his vision began to grow black. He couldn't handle much more before he passed out.

When Wildfire finally heard footsteps through his continued screams, it felt as if had been years since he had been left alone. The teenager almost let out a sob at the sight of the Sorceress coming into the room. Mason didn't follow her and she softly shut the door. She walked to the black-haired teenager and gently touched Ryo's burned cheek. Wildfire felt her cool palm on his burn.

The woman spoke different words from last time and the pain inside Ryo immediately disappeared. The pain from the Sorceress' hand on his burned cheek, however, remained. She kept her hand on his burn.

"Will you tell me about that white armor now, Ryo?" She gently asked.

"It's called the Inferno," he began, "it holds more power than the 5 Ronin armors combined but it takes my own energy to keep it materialized. I can't actually create the Inferno by myself; it takes all 5 Ronin armors to create it."

"Why does the Inferno need all 5 armors to be created? You have already worn it before for a few seconds," the Sorceress asked.

"The Inferno only came out long enough to save my life. It can't sustain itself on its own without the other 4 armors. It needs them to be able to sustain itself."

The Sorceress removed her hand. She stood and left the room again. Ryo was left alone in there.

Ryo was mad at himself as he sat there. _Why_ did he tell her _everything_ about the Inferno? He knew that it had been the only option he had for stopping the pain but that didn't help the anger he was directing at himself. Even his burned cheek was a reminder of the mistake that he had made.

The burn on his cheek wouldn't cool down; the pain from it was still just as much as when her hand had been on it. The only thing the teenager could think of to at least _help_ relieve the pain was the wall behind him. He didn't know if it would work as he couldn't _feel_ how cold it was. All he could go on was the fact that stone walls tended to be cooler than the actual temperature of the room.

Wildfire pressed his burned cheek as well as he could against the stone behind him. The whole mansion was made of stone and, at this point, Ryo was grateful it was. Somehow he could feel that the pain from his cheek was slowly lessening the longer that it was pressed against it.

It wasn't long before the door opened again. Ryo's eyes shot to the door to see who would come in. _Is the Sorceress back?_ He thought in a panic. _Was the information that I gave her not enough for her?_

A single, unknown man that the black-haired teenager had never seen before walked in with a bag. He stopped in front of the teenager and just looked him up and down. Because of Ryo's beyond-excellent hearing, he heard the man mutter "he's too young to be put through that."

The man knelt in front of Ryo and put his hand underneath the teenager's chin to turn Wildfire's face. Ryo gave a whimper when his finger's touched the burn. Tears welled up in the teenager's eyes.

The man made a soothing noise to try to comfort Wildfire. "It's okay," he gently said.

The man inspected Ryo's burned cheek. He let go of the teenager's face and opened his bag for the burn cream. He opened the bottle and put some on his hand. He fingers gently caressed Ryo's cheek as he carefully rubbed it on the burn. Even though Ryo could not feel the coolness of the cream, the teenager actually felt the cream work as the pain from his cheek lessened. When the man was finished, he put the burn cream back in the bag.

"How is the pain from the burn?" He asked. "Is there any left?"

Ryo shook his head. "No," he replied, "it's gone."

Then the man did something that Ryo knew was completely unnecessary; Wildfire's body temperature was higher than normal and the man didn't know just _how_ much higher it was. The teenager was about to tell the man that it was pointless for him to check Ryo's temperature as he didn't know the normal number when the man frowned. To the man, Ryo's forehead was hotter than it should have been so he came to the conclusion that Ryo must have a fever for some reason.

The man left Ryo alone in the room. The teenager heard him speak to someone down the hall. If Ryo didn't have as good of hearing as he did wouldn't have been able to hear the man. The teenager saw him come back with another unknown man. This one, however, looked like a bodybuilder. Ryo was sure that he could pick up the teenager with little effort.

Wildfire's shackles were undone and he was picked up by the muscled man. He was carried out the room like a doll and down the hall. Ryo watched as they went through the mansion before stopping in front of a single door. The man who had put the burn cream on Ryo's cheek opened the door. Ryo was brought into a bathroom. The teenager thought that he would be let down then but the muscled man continued to hold him as if he was a baby.

The other man turned on the facet of the tub. Ryo quickly noticed that the knob was completely turned to the _left_. Ryo knew that it meant the water in the tub would be almost ice cold.

"Wait," Ryo protested, "don't put me-"

He was lowered into the tub. Ryo couldn't feel the coldness of the water but knew it _was_ cold from the fact that he quickly began to shiver in the water even though he hadn't been sat on the bottom of the tub.

Ryo desperately tried to get out of the tub. He knew what would happen if he didn't get out of the water _quickly_.

The teenager was gently pushed down so that Ryo was once more sitting on the bottom of the tub. "You've got a bad fever," he was told as the hands stayed on his shoulders.

"But my body temperature is _always_ this high," he informed the man. "This is _normal_ for me."

The man's hands left Ryo's shoulders. "No one's body temperature is as hot as a fever's," the man corrected.

Ryo could feel his teeth start to chatter. "But it's the truth," he told the man.

"You're staying in there until your temperature goes back to normal," the man informed the boy. "You are not leaving that water until then."

All Ryo could do was sit there and violently shiver as his skin quickly turned ice cold.

…

The Sorceress found Mason in his sitting room. She sat across from him and began to speak.

"He's told me everything," she said as she sat there. Mason didn't say anything; he knew what she was talking about. "That white armor, he says it's called the Inferno. Apparently it takes both Ryo's own energy and the other 4 armors to create it then keep it on his body. That power though – he said that the power of that single armor is more than all 5 armors combined. Though, he did say something interesting."

Mason gave her an interested look. "What did he say?" He asked.

"That Inferno seems very protective of the boy. It will probably protect Ryo's life no matter what. That, apparently, was the reason that it created itself long enough to destroy over half of the army that he was fighting."

Mason remembered that she had told him the amount of destruction that the 'Inferno' had caused. The fact that this new armor held more power than all of the 5 armors combined made the greed inside the mercenary grow. Now he wanted the _other_ 4 armors. If he had all 5 armors he could use the Inferno's power. If he had the Inferno and the other 4 armors, he _knew_ they'd be so powerful that they could destroy an entire city if Mason was paid to do so. Mason knew that with the power of all 5 armors, the payment he would receive with each offer would quickly skyrocket.

"I want the other 4 armors," Mason told the woman.

The Sorceress nodded; she also wanted the other 4 armors.

"But how do we get the other 4 armors?" Mason asked the woman.

"I truthfully do not know," she admitted. "With the amount of power that Ryo has shown with just his swords and armor alone I don't think it'll be as easy obtaining them as it was him."

"Why don't we do something similar to Ryo's kidnapping?" Mason suggested.

The Sorceress cocked her head slightly. "What do you mean?" She asked. "We had to find a way to kidnap a single one without alerting the others or giving him a chance to retaliate."

Mason smiled. "There are always ways to do things," he replied. "The only problem is finding the right one."

The Sorceress raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Enlighten me."

Mason smiled. He began to tell her his idea.

…

The man finally checked to see if Ryo's temperature had gone down. What he felt on Ryo's forehead wasn't the teenager's temperature. Wildfire's skin was ice cold.

The man called for the one who had carried Ryo to the bathroom. When the muscled man came back, the other told him to pick up Ryo. While Ryo was removed from the still-cold water the tub began to drain.

"Keep as much of him against you for now until we get him into bed," he commanded the one who was holding Ryo again.

The man led them back to Ryo's prison. The gate opened and Ryo was immediately taken to his bed. The teenager was placed underneath his blanket. More blankets were put on top of it.

Ryo moved onto his side and curled up in hopes of stopping the shivering. He couldn't tell he was cold but the shivering was an excellent sign that he _was_ cold.

The muscled man left but the man who had put the burn cream on Ryo's cheek sat beside the teenager as both waited for Ryo to warm up. It took longer for Ryo to stop shivering than the time it took for it to begin.

The man finally asked the question that had been on his mind since he had felt Ryo's ice cold skin.

"What happened back there," he asked the teenager.

Ryo looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"What happened while you were in the tub?"

"I don't do well with cold water," Ryo explained. "Because my armor's element is fire I have a negative reaction to things that are cold or freezing. Really cold water is one of them."

"Your element's fire?" The man asked.

Ryo nodded. "It's _because_ its fire that my body temperature is higher than normal."

"Fascinating," the man softly breathed.

The man stood. "I want you stay in bed for the rest of the day," he told the teenager.

Ryo nodded and the man left.

Wildfire snuggled farther into his blankets and got comfortable. His body was shivering a lot less then when he had first been brought to his bed. He fell asleep like that and didn't wake until morning.

Ryo went outside to the fire pit after eating breakfast the next morning. He lit the fire and sat beside it. Much to his surprise, the pain from the burn worsened. Ryo put out the fire but continued to sit beside the fire pit. He spent the day there, missing his armor and element more because he wasn't able to sit next to a burning fire.

…

The Sorceress and Mason spent time coming up with a way to capture the rest of the Ronin Warriors. After they had finalized it, they had to find where the Ronins were. They knew that they had left the area where Ryo had been kidnapped some time ago because one of Mason's contacts had informed the man.

Mason had had his contacts keep an eye on the other Ronin Warriors even though the man had Ryo. He wanted to know where they were in case he ever wanted another one for some reason. Now that Mason had decided to kidnap the rest of the Ronin Warriors, all 4 of them had already basically disappeared.

The mercenary told his contacts to find the Ronins and to immediately inform him of their location once they had been found.

Then all Mason and the Sorceress could do was wait for the information to come.

When the information finally arrived there was nothing about a child and a young woman who were traveling with the Ronin Warriors. Mason and the Sorceress never knew that Mia and Yuli were with Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen.

RME: and now we're officially on to the second arc. I wonder if any of you saw this twist coming.


	6. Losing Freedom, part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 6**

 _Losing Freedom_

 _Part 1_

Rowen and Kento stood alone in a secluded area as they talked about their progress of finding Ryo. Neither could find their missing friend and it was starting to scare them. It had been a long time since the black-haired teenager had disappeared and none of the Ronin Warriors could find him. School was going to start soon and the 7 of them needed to be home by then. They knew that none of them would go home until after they had found Wildfire. They wouldn't abandon one of their own.

A ways away from the 2, a group of Mason's men were gathered. They checked the tranquilizer gun that each had been given. They had found the 2 Ronin Warriors together and all thought that they had lucked out. Mason would be very pleased that they had been able capture 2 of the 4 Ronin Warriors at once.

 _Ready?_ One of them mouthed. Another nodded. The first held up his tranquilizer gun and motioned for the others to get ready to fire. A single tranquilizer went for the purple-haired teenager's neck.

…

"Are you sure?" Rowen asked.

Kento nodded. "I'm sure," he confirmed.

"We've already asked around that place," the blue-haired teenager reminded his friend.

"But, _Rowen_ , I'm sure we missed something."

Rowen shook his head. "We tried there soon after we moved to this part of the city."

"But I've heard they got an _excellent_ buffet there," Hardrock whined.

Strata shook his head. "That's the real reason, isn't it?" He asked.

The purple-haired teenager's stomach growled then, proving Rowen's point.

Kento was about to say something when he barely felt a pinprick on the side his neck. His hand was a blur as it went to the area but felt nothing. There was a sound of something hitting the ground at his feet. When he picked it up he saw that it was a dart-like thing.

"Hey, Rowen, wa-"

Kento's warning came too late. Rowen's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he dropped to the ground in front of Kento. Hardrock's eyes went from the dart in the side of his unconscious friend's neck then in the direction both darts had come from.

 _I have to stop them before they reach Rowen!_ The purple-haired teenager thought. He dropped the dart-like thing in his hand and ran in the direction that the projectiles had come from. He didn't think about going top speed as he thought of all the 'nasty' things that the teenager would do once he found the person who had knocked out his blue-haired friend.

He ran in the direction but didn't see or hear anything that would give away their assailant's position. He eventually stopped and headed back. He wanted to take his friend to their hotel since Rowen was unconscious. Once the blue-haired teenager was in their room, Hardrock would find the one who had harmed his friend.

It was a great idea but there was one problem: Rowen wasn't where Kento had left him.

All Kento could think of were a couple of swear words and _the guys won't believe this_.

…

Rowen felt himself slowly waking up.

"I know your waking up, Rowen," came Ryo's voice from beside him. "Please don't leave me alone anymore."

 _Why is Ryo here?_ The last that he knew, Wildfire was still missing. _Did we find him?_

Strata's eyes opened. He looked to his side and saw _Ryo_ sitting on the bed beside him. The blue-haired teenager looked around the room to find that he was in an unfamiliar place. The teenager sat up and looked at his black-haired friend.

"Where are we?" Strata asked.

"We're at the estate of a person called Mason," Ryo told his friend. "We've been kidnapped by him."

"I don't understand," Rowen said, "why are you here after being missing for so long?"

Ryo moved his shirt to expose his neck more. "It's because of this," he explained. "You have one, too. It prevents us from being able to wear our armor."

Rowen saw a silver bracelet on Ryo's right wrist. "Ryo, why do you have a bracelet?" The blue-haired teenager asked.

Wildfire looked at the bracelet.

"It's a bracelet with a tracking chip," he explained. "It's so that Mason can find me no matter where I go or hide." Ryo pointed at Rowen's own wrist. "They also put one on you when you arrived here."

…

Kento, Sage and Cye felt something change in their armors. For the first time, they felt that their armors had slightly lost some power.

Kento, who had already found Sage and Cye, asked "what was that?"

Cye shrugged. "I don't know," he answered.

"We should go back to the hotel," Sage suggested, "Mia might know the reason for what just happened."

"Do you think she's come back yet?" Cye asked.

"Won't know until we try," Kento replied.

Sage led Hardrock and Torrent back to their hotel. They walked to Mia and Yuli's room and Cye knocked. When they heard Mia's voice telling them to come in, the 3 Ronins walked into the room. They saw Mia at the table playing cards with Yuli to pass the time. She turned to her boys.

"Did something happen?" She asked when she saw their faces.

"Mia, is it possible for our armors to lose part of their power?" Sage asked.

"What do you mean, Sage?" Mia asked.

"Kento, Cye and I just felt our armors lose a little of their power," Halo explained.

The brunette woman wore a thoughtful look as she mentally went through the data that she had read on the Ronin armors. Her eyes focused again when she found the answer to the blonde's question.

"All of your armors are closely linked together," she explained, "some of your power comes from the link between your armors. If one link is broken, the armors– including the one that has been broken from the link – will always lose some of their power. That loss will increase with each break of the links."

"I forgot to tell you guys that Rowen's missing like Ryo," Kento told the others.

"Did the people who took Ryo also have Rowen now?" Mia asked.

Everyone could plainly hear the worry in her voice.

…

"You moved hotels?" Ryo asked.

Rowen nodded. "We moved to another part of Los Angeles to see if there was anyone else who had seen you."

"Did they?" Ryo asked.

Rowen shook his head. "It was only that one woman. Others had seen you around town but couldn't tell us anything."

Ryo looked disappointed. He had hoped that his friends had been able to find where he was being kept by now.

Rowen pointed to Wildfire's burned cheek. "What happened?" Strata asked. "I know that you can't be burned by anything."

"The Sorceress – the one I told you about – somehow was able to burn my cheek," he explained. "She's got this…this _power_ that I've never seen before. She had used that power to burn me."

"Ryo, what's been happening to you since you were brought here?" Rowen asked.

Ryo began his story. He told his friend everything that happened since Ryo had woken up at Mason's estate and how the Sorceress had a way to force Ryo fight even though Ryo never wanted to. Then came the hard part: Ryo told Rowen that the black-haired teenager had killed.

"You mean you killed that person the second time you fought?" Rowen asked.

Ryo nodded. "But that's not the worse part," he told his friend, "I killed over half of a huge group of people in the third fight."

"Will we both be forced to fight in the future?" Rowen asked. "You've already been forced to 3 times since you were kidnapped."

Ryo silently sat next to Rowen as they watched the sky slowly darken. Strata could see the longing in his friend's eyes. The black-haired boy had told him earlier that Ryo couldn't be near fire because it made the pain from the burn on his cheek worse. Eventually, Rowen couldn't take the sight of Ryo's longing eyes anymore.

Strata stood and went to the fire pit. He started the fire and came back to where he had been sitting with Ryo. "Try to get as close to the fire as possible before your cheek starts to hurt," he told the teenager.

Ryo's eyes lit up. He took his chair off the terrace and sat it as close to the fire as he could. By the time Rowen had sat his chair beside Wildfire's the black-haired teenager was already sitting in his with his eyes closed. Strata could plainly see the happy look on his friend's face.

"Is this the closest you can get?" Rowen asked as he sat beside Ryo.

Wildfire opened his eyes to look at his blue-haired friend. "Yeah," he happily replied.

Rowen continued to sit beside Ryo until he couldn't take the heat anymore. Strata went inside for some swimming trunks to go cool off in the pool. Ryo just sat in front of the fire as he started to sweat. Like usual, the teenager didn't feel the heat.

…

Mason listened to the interesting news that his 2 men were giving him. They had found another Ronin Warrior with Rowen. Yet this one – the one called Kento he recalled – hadn't been kidnapped. According to his 2 men, the tranquilizer that he had supplied them with hadn't even pierced that teenager's skin.

"Thank you for the information," he told them. "You can leave now."

The 2 of Mason's men bowed to their boss and left the room. The door closed behind them. Once Mason was alone in his study, he went to find the Sorceress. He had just been given some information that had complicated their plan to kidnap the other 4 Ronin Warriors. He found the woman in her sitting room looking at a mirror. When the mercenary entered, the woman sat the mirror down, void of whatever she was looking at.

"Can I help you, Mason?" She asked from where she sat.

Mason closed the door behind him and sat across from her. "We might need to reconsider our plan on how to kidnap the other 3 Ronin Warriors," he told her. "I was just given information that another Ronin Warrior – the one called Kento – had been with Rowen when my men had kidnapped the boy. Those tranquilizer darts that I had given my men weren't able to pierce the other's skin."

"The other 3 might be the same as Kento," the woman told the mercenary.

"Why don't we use their own power against them?" Mason suggested.

"How do we do that?"

Mason smiled. "Use the 2 Ronin Warriors that we have to capture the other 3."

"That is a good idea," the Sorceress agreed. "I can force those 2 to get us the rest."

Mason smiled. "Now _that_ I like," he said.

…

Rowen sat on the terrace, looking at the sky. There was this feeling of missing something that wouldn't escape the blue-haired teenager's mind. He _missed_ his armor and the fact that it was still daylight didn't help it. He wished it was night; at least he could use the moonlight to help with this feeling of loss inside him.

Strata went to the fire pit that his friend seemed to love now-a-days. He sat beside Wildfire and copied the black-haired teenager's action. He stared into the fire.

"Do you miss it? The Wildfire, I mean," Rowen asked.

Ryo's eyes left the fire and he looked at his friend. "Yeah," he answered. "The only way I can be close to my element is a fire."

The blue-haired teenager nodded as he looked at the sky. "I wish it was night," the teenager admitted to his friend. "At least the moonlight and the night will help. I miss the Strata."

Ryo looked up at the sky. It was still day and night wouldn't come for a while. He felt bad for his blue-haired friend. At least for him, all he had to do was sit in front of a blazing fire. Rowen, however, only had the night to help with his.

The 2 of them sat by the fire as they waited for the night to come. After the sun went down, Rowen felt slightly better. The feeling of missing his armor lessened the longer they stayed outside, watching the stars. Rowen sat in the night as he bathed in the moonlight as Ryo sat beside him. The fire had been put out long ago when the sun had first gone down.

"Let's go inside, Rowen," Ryo told his friend. "I think it's time for us to sleep."

Rowen opened his eyes and moved his eyes to see Wildfire staring at him. Strata could see that his black-haired friend was tired. Rowen stood and Ryo followed suit. They walked inside the mansion and went to their bedroom. They fell asleep in beds that were next to each other.

The next day was hotter than normal. Ryo was sitting near the fire which was going inside the fire pit. Rowen was still inside, leaving the black-haired teenager to sit alone outside. Ryo didn't mind though. He knew that it was hot because Rowen had warned him to be careful since it was hotter than normal.

The burn on Ryo's cheek wasn't completely healed yet so he couldn't sit as close to the fire as he wanted. It wasn't as bad as when he had first received it but it was still touché when it came to heat of a fire.

Rowen came out. He walked to his friend. "Come inside," he told his friend. "You need to cool off for a little bit. I don't want you to get a heatstroke."

Ryo looked at his arms to see that they were very sweaty. _When did that happen?_ He didn't remember when he had started to sweat. He put out the fire and went inside with his friend. They sat at the dining table as they waited for Ryo to cool off.

"Not yet," Strata told his friend. "You haven't completely cooled off yet."

"But I feel fine!" Ryo protested.

Rowen shook his head. "You _always_ 'feel fine', Ryo. That's your problem."

Ryo crossed his arms. "Then when _can_ I?"

Strata shrugged his shoulders. "Whenever I feel that you've cooled down enough."

Wildfire stared at his friend _hard_. "You're not going to back down, are you?"

The blue-haired teenager smiled. "You know that it's basically impossible for you tell these things, right?"

Ryo's mind went back to that sunburn he had gotten shortly after waking up at Mason's estate. _He's got a point_ , his mind betrayed him. _You_ can't _tell these things_.

Strata eventually let the black-haired teenager back outside. Ryo went straight to the fire pit. He started the fire and backed away until the heat didn't make the pain from his burned cheek come back. Soon after Ryo had sat down, Rowen came out carrying 2 glasses of ice water. He handed one to Ryo. Wildfire drank some of the water then set it beside him.

…

Cye, Kento, Sage, Mia and Yuli were eating lunch in a restaurant.

"Did you find anything on Ryo and Rowen?" Mia asked as they ate.

Kento shook his head with his mouth still full of food.

Cye put his fork on his empty plate.

"Still can't find anything no matter where I go," the brunette admitted. "It's as if _both_ have disappeared."

Sage frowned. He put his fork that still had food on it on his own plate.

"It's the same for me," he told Mia. "I can't find _anything_."

Kento swallowed. "Hey, no worries, no worries!" He told them. "We'll find them eventually."

Sage shook his head at his purple-haired friend's words. "It's not that simple. We haven't found Ryo, Kento, even though we've been looking for a long time. With Rowen now missing, we have another one of us to find. We don't even know if Rowen is with Ryo right now."

Kento waved his fork back and forth. "Don't worry," he told the blonde. "They're here somewhere; I can _feel_ it."

"Are you sure it's not your hunger you're talking about?" Cye teased.

Kento grinned. "Positive, my man," he responded.

Cye shook his head. "If only the rest of us were like that," he whispered.

Kento playfully smacked his friend's shoulder. "Hey, cheer up, Cye," he told the brunette.

Mia smiled as she watched her 2 boys. _Sage's right, Kento_ , she thought as she watched Torrent hit his friend back. _We don't know where either Ryo or Rowen are_.

Like usual, Kento was the last to finish eating. Mia paid for their lunch and all 5 of them left. They stepped back onto the streets. They split with Mia taking Yuli with her. They returned to looking for both Ryo and Rowen. Like lately, none of them could find any clues. They eventually returned to Mia and Yuli's hotel room when night came. As they sat waiting for the rest to come back, none of them spoke. They couldn't find anything to say. When all were back at the room, Mia took everyone to another restaurant. They ate dinner with Kento ordering over a fourth of the menu. After they had finished eating they went back to their hotel room.

Sage, Kento and Cye were the only ones who were in their room that night. It was normal for Ryo to not be with them right now but Rowen's absence couldn't be easily ignored.

…

Sage, Cye and Kento were taking a break at a park together without Mia and Yuli. They sat on the park benches which were close to each other. They watched as a child played on the jungle gym by the fountain.

They were silent as they sat. It had been a long day and all 3 had agreed to meet up to take a break. Kento, Sage and Cye knew that they were only together to make sure that none of them had disappeared while the others weren't around. They figured that Mia and Yuli were fine on their own since neither had been taken by _anyone_ at this point. Since both times only a single Ronin Warrior had disappeared, the 3 remaining thought that it would be safe to leave them on their own.

There was a rustle behind them. _Probably a dog_ , all 3 thought as they continued to people-watch. It wasn't till they heard the moving of _armor_ behind them that their heads whipped around and they stood to see who was coming towards them.

Much to their surprise and relief their 2 missing friends had come back. Why they were wearing their subarmor Sage, Kento and Cye didn't know.

"Rowen, Ryo! You're back!" Cye excitedly said.

Rowen and Ryo just looked at them as if they were scared.

"Run," Ryo pleaded from where he stood.

"What?" Sage asked.

Ryo and Rowen began to mercilessly attack their friends.

Ryo's fist went for Sage's face, forcing the blonde to bend backwards. Wildfire's fist went over him. The black-haired teenager sent a kick at Halo's side. The blonde flipped over himself to avoid being hit and landed a few feet away.

Kento had to flip over Rowen to avoid Strata's leg. He landed behind the blue-haired teenager.

"Ryo, what's going on?" Sage asked. "Why are you fighting us?"

Kento, Sage and Cye could see that Ryo and Rowen didn't _want_ to fight them. That's what was confusing. If Strata and Wildfire didn't wish to fight them, why were they _attacking_?

"We're being forced to do this," Ryo explained. His fist went for Sage's side.

The blonde dodged to the side. His own fist went for his friend's face. _If I can just knock him out…_ , he thought. The black-haired teenager dodged. His fist came up and hit his friend's chest. Sage's breath flew out of him. The blonde went a few inches into the air then landed on his back. Ryo didn't give Sage a chance to recover.

Rowen's fist went for Kento's side and the purple-haired teenager had to block it with his arm. The force from the impact made his arm tingle. _Wow, I didn't know we hit that hard_ , he thought. Kento didn't want to do this but his fist aimed for Strata's face.

 _Transform_ , a female voice said in Ryo and Rowen's mind.

 _NO!_ Both teenagers screamed inside. They _didn't_ want to do this.

 _Transform_ , the female voice said again.

Light wrapped around Ryo and Rowen. When it disappeared they were standing in their full armor. Sage, Kento and Cye could only stare.

" _Run_!" Ryo practically screamed. He unsheathed his swords.

Rowen just took out his bow and knocked an arrow.

Sage was the first to recover. "We have got to get away from here!" He told Kento and Cye. "We can't get innocent people involved!"

Sage, Cye and Kento jumped over the park benches. They ran into the park's little forest with Ryo and Rowen chasing them. When they reached the middle of the woods Halo, Hardrock and Torrent stopped.

"Armor of Halo, Dao Chi," Sage whispered.

"Armor of Torrent, Dao Shin," Cye whispered.

"Armor of Hardrock, Dao Gi," Kento whispered.

All 3 of them grabbed their weapons. They didn't want to fight their 2 missing friends. The worst part of this situation was the fact that they _had_ no choice. It was either that or Ryo and Rowen won and whatever they had come for would happen.

Ryo's sword went for Sage's side. Wildfire's sword cut into the green armor. The blonde looked at the cut in surprise. _We can injure each other?_

"Kento, Cye, be careful!" Sage warned. "They can injure us if we aren't!"

Ryo's right sword went for Sage's chest and Halo blocked it with his own.

Rowen's second arrow went for Cye's shoulder. Kento twirled his staff to stop the arrow from hitting. Rowen's third arrow went for Hardrock's own shoulder. Kento quickly turned to the side to avoid it. Torrent's trident went to knock Rowen's bow away but the blue-haired teenager jumped back. He fired another arrow at the brunette but Cye dodged it.

 _It's as if they aren't going full out_ , Cye thought as he kept an eye on his friend.

Kento's staff hit Rowen's shoulder, causing Strata's bow to fall a ways away from the impact. The blue-haired teenager threw himself towards it, grabbed the handle with his free hand hitting the ground before using it to flip onto his feet. He fired another shot. This time it almost hit Kento's leg. The purple-haired teenager jumped into the air and aimed his staff to hit Rowen's head.

The butt of Cye's trident went up to hit Rowen's chin. Strata leaned backwards, and Kento and Cye rammed into each other. Both fell away from the other. The blue-haired teenager went for Kento's throat.

Sage somehow was able to block Ryo's swords. Halo pushed hard against both of them, causing the black-haired teenager to bend backwards. Ryo's swords went up and Sage's own went for Ryo's chest. Wildfire flipped back, hit the tree behind him and flipped over his friend's head. Sage whipped around to block Ryo's next attack.

"Why won't you fight against whatever is forcing you to do this?" Sage asked.

Ryo's eyes pleaded for the blonde to understand. "It's impossible to," he simply answered.

The blonde didn't think that anything could _force_ someone to fight. This was the first time he had come across this type of thing. It was different from the time that Shikaisen had Sage. Sage _hadn't_ known what he was doing. He had been hanging from a wall while his armor destroyed. Rowen and Ryo weren't so 'lucky'. They knew _exactly_ what they were doing.

Rowen shot another arrow at the brunette. Cye fell to his side and his free hand hit the ground. He flipped over himself and landed on his feet. He wanted to stop his blue-haired friend. Maybe if he could stop Strata, the blue-haired teenager would stop attacking.

Kento's staff went to knock out Rowen. Rowen bent backwards and the staff went right over his head. Rowen shot straight up and sent another arrow at Cye. Torrent's trident batted it away like a baseball. The arrow landed to the side. Rowen's next arrow went for Kento's ankle. This time the purple-haired teenager wasn't able to block in time; it hit the joint between his foot and leg. Kento felt the armor bend as he fell to the ground in pain. _That hurts_ , he thought.

Kento couldn't undo the damage without returning to his street clothes. Once the armor was back inside its soul which was inside him, it could repair itself. The purple-haired teenager didn't have any way to do it manually.

"Kento!" Cye exclaimed as he ran towards his fallen friend. Rowen got to Hardrock first. He grabbed the teenager's arm. He hauled Kento to his feet.

"Ryo, I've got Kento!" Rowen told the other. "We can't stay now!"

Ryo nodded. He swung his sword once more at Sage before running to Rowen and Kento. When he reached the two, all 3 suddenly disappeared in a flash of bright light. When the light disappeared, Kento, Rowen and Ryo were gone.

"Where did they go?" Cye asked.

"What I'd like to know is _why_ they attacked us," Sage said instead.

…

Ryo, Rowen and Kento appeared in a deserted room. Ryo and Rowen immediately returned to their street clothes. Kento stayed in full armor.

"Go back to your clothes," Ryo hissed in his friends ear. "Don't let her _see_ it."

Kento didn't understand what his friend was saying. Who was this 'her' he mentioned?

" _Quickly!_ " Ryo hissed again.

Kento dismissed the Hardrock. He felt his armor settle in its soul inside him. When the teenager went to move away from his friends, Rowen's grip only went tighter. Rowen looked at his hand that was holding his friend's arm in surprise.

"Sorry," the blue-haired teenager softly apologized.

Kento shook his head. "Don't be," he told Strata. "I'm sure you have a reason."

"I don't have-"

Rowen was interrupted when the only door to the room opened. A woman in a flowing back dress and a man in a black suit with a blood red tie came in. The man was holding a straight, silver piece of metal. The woman, however, only wore an excited smile.

"So this is another one," she said when she stopped in front of the 3 Ronin Warriors.

Kento felt Ryo's hand shake a little. When the purple-haired teenager looked to Ryo, he saw the fear that was in his friend's eyes. _Who is she?_ He thought. _It's as if Ryo is_ scared _of her_.

"I am called the Sorceress, Kento," she told the newly-kidnapped Ronin Warrior.

"I am Mason," the man spoke from behind the woman.

The Sorceress' hand went forward. Kento saw Ryo tense. When he looked at his other friend he saw the understanding in Strata's eyes. _What is going on?_ He thought.

The Sorceress' hand cupped the right side of Kento's neck. She spoke words that none of the others in the room understood.

Kento felt a ring of fire wrap around the base of his neck. He hissed from the pain that came with it. When the fire died he felt his connection to the Hardrock's soul suddenly break.

 _What did she do?_ Kento thought.

Mason came forward. He handed the Sorceress the piece of metal in his hand. Ryo grabbed Hardrock's other arm. Both Wildfire and Strata grabbed onto the purple-haired boy's back to stop him from moving. The silver metal wrapped around Kento's right wrist as if it was elastic. The Sorceress ran her finger down the two edges of the metal. The 3 Ronin Warriors watched in surprise as they saw the seam of the bracelet completely disappear. It was as if the bracelet had never been straight.

Ryo and Rowen suddenly let Kento go. Hardrock stood and moved the bracelet that had just been put on his wrist.

"That is a tracking bracelet," Mason replied. "It will make sure you can never run from me."

When the purple-haired teenager looked to Ryo for conformation, he saw his friend nod his head. _I have a tracking bracelet?_ Kento thought. _Why do I have a tracking bracelet?_

The woman touched Rowen's forehead and spoke words that none could understand. When she reached for Ryo's, the teenager tensed again. Her fingers touched his forehead and she spoke the same unknown words from before. Then the Sealing Marks around both Strata and Wildfire's necks locked again.

Mason and the Sorceress headed for the door.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Mason told the teenagers as he reached for the doorknob.

Ryo spoke before Mason could leave. "Can Kento have double what you give me and Rowen? He eats a _lot_ more than the rest of us."

Mason nodded. "I'll tell the cooks," he replied.

Kento gave Ryo a surprised look. "That was easy," he commented.

Ryo looked at his purple-haired friend. "I'll explain outside," he told Kento.

…

Sage and Cye felt it again – that feeling of their armor losing power – like after Rowen had gone missing.

 _Kidnapped_ , Sage reminded himself, _Rowen was kidnapped_.

Cye looked to the blonde for what to do next.

"We need to tell Mia what happened here," Sage told him.

Cye nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "We found Ryo and Rowen together."

"Not to mention that they disappeared with Kento," Sage reminded the brunette.

The blonde and the brunette took off. They were a blur to others as they ran back to their hotel. They had to tell Mia what had just happened _fast_. They needed to get back to Mia and Yuli as soon as possible. _But what will Yuli think?_ They thought as they ran. _Ryo had just attacked us and had taken Kento back with both him and Rowen_.

When they reached their hotel, they walked into the building. Neither were of them were out of breath as they went to the floor that their hotel rooms were on. They knocked on Mia and Yuli's door and waited.

Mia opened the door. She went to the side and the 2 of them walked into the room. Both she and Yuli quickly noticed that Kento wasn't with Torrent and Halo.

"Where's Kento?" Yuli asked.

Sage and Cye sat on one of the beds in the room.

"Something happened to Kento while we were together," Sage explained.

"Why not just tell them, Sage?" Cye asked.

Mia sat across from them on the other bed.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We just saw Ryo and Rowen," Cye told her.

Yuli's face lit up. "Ryo's back!"

Sage shook his head. "He's not here, Yuli. He and Rowen disappeared again."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked.

Cye was the one who spoke. "Ryo and Rowen came while Kento, Sage and I were at a park," he explained. "Ryo and Rowen fought us. They took Kento with them."

"I think that they were forced to kidnap Kento," Sage told Mia and Yuli. "Ryo had told me that Ryo was being _forced_ to fight us. I think that they had come to kidnap Kento."

"I think that whatever happened to Ryo when he'd been kidnapped must involve at least Ryo, Kento and Rowen," Mia realized. "Sage, Cye, I want you to be more careful in case you 2 are also involved somehow in this."

"We will, Mia," Sage agreed.

"We'll stay together for now," Cye added, "that way we can watch each other's backs in case we are attacked again."

Mia gave them a relieved smile. She just hoped that it would work. _But what about the others who have already been kidnapped?_

…

Ryo, Kento and Rowen were sitting by the fire outside. They sat as close as they could because of Ryo's burned cheek. A lot of it had been healed by now but the burn on Wildfire's cheek hadn't gone away yet. Kento was the one who eventually broke the silence that had settled between the 3 of them.

"So, Ryo, what happened to your cheek?" Kento asked.

"Do you remember the one who calls herself the Sorceress?" Ryo asked. When Kento nodded the black-haired teenager continued. "She was the one who burned it as a way to force me to tell her about the Inferno. I didn't tell her until after she made me feel a lot of pain throughout my entire body."

"You told her about the _Inferno_?" Kento asked. He couldn't believe that his friend had done that. He had already been told some about that woman already so he couldn't believe that his friend had told her about the most powerful armor that the Ronin Warriors had.

"Ryo," Rowen corrected, "you downplayed the amount didn't you?" The blue-haired teenager looked at Hardrock. "It wasn't 'a lot of pain', Kento. Ryo told me that it had turned into _agony_ before he had broken and told that woman about the Inferno."

Kento stared at Ryo. "It went that far?" He asked.

Ryo shot Rowen a _why did you tell him?_ look before answering Kento's question.

"I _didn't_ want to tell her, Kento. I didn't want you guys involved," Ryo explained.

"I'm going to kill that woman for hurting Ryo," Kento muttered. His eyes focused on his friend's burned cheek. "How did you get that burn anyway? I thought it was _impossible_ for you to be burned."

"She's got this power," Wildfire explained. "I don't know what it is but it was because of it that she was able to burn me. It was also that power that forced me to fight 3 times. I even was forced to kill once."

Kento wasn't happy. His black-haired friend had been forced to fight? He had even been forced to _kill_ because of her?

"That isn't the worst of it though," Ryo continued. "The last time she forced me to fight I killed half of a huge group of people – well the Inferno did to save my life anyways."

Kento knew that Ryo couldn't have stopped the Inferno when it came to protecting Ryo's life. It was as if the Inferno thought that it didn't matter what the cost was when it came to keeping Ryo alive.

"But, Kento, I'm just happy that I haven't been forced to fight since then," Ryo told the purple-haired teenager, "I'm also happy that you and Rowen hadn't been forced to fight like I have."

"What happened those times you were forced to fight?" Kento asked.

Ryo recounted all of what happened to him. He told them how the Sorceress had somehow given Ryo the Wildfire back but had also given him the feeling of needing to destroy something to make him fight. He told them about the first time he had been forced to subdue a group of people, the second time he had been taken to an abandoned place and the third time against that huge group of people which the Inferno had killed over half of.

By the time that Ryo had finished talking night had already come. Rowen put out the fire.

"We should sleep," he told the other 2.

Ryo knew that Rowen probably wanted to stay outside longer. "Are you sure? I thought you would want to stay out here longer."

Rowen shook his head. "I've stayed outside long enough," he told the black-haired teenager. "We should get some sleep now."

Kento stood. He stretched his arms, his hand holding the elbow of his other arm. He dropped them and turned to Wildfire. "You heard Rowen," he told the other teenager. "It's time to go to sleep." _Besides_ , Kento thought, _I'm sure he's already noticed how much you've been sweating_.

Ryo got up. He followed his friends to their bedroom. When they reached their bedroom, Rowen gave him his pj's. "Go shower," he told the black-haired teenager, "Kento will check the water temperature for you before you get in."

Kento followed Ryo to the bathroom. Hardrock turned on the shower and got it to the right temperature. Both he and Rowen knew that Ryo could figure it out by using the temperature gauge but they also knew that it wasn't perfect. Ryo could still have the water too cold without knowing.

The purple-haired teenager left the bathroom after he had gotten the water's temperature cold enough for Ryo to be able to handle while helping his friend cool down. Wildfire took a shower and shut off the water after he was done. He changed into his pj's and went back to their bedroom. He went to his bed next to Rowen's. Kento was already asleep by the time Wildfire came back. Rowen was waiting for his return before he followed his other friend into dreamland.

Ryo and Rowen quickly fell asleep after getting comfortable. Everything was silent until about halfway through the night. That was when Rowen woke to the sound of Ryo softly crying in his sleep.

Strata got out of bed. He took the few steps to Wildfire's bed. He shook his crying friend and called his name several times before the blue eyes opened. Strata sat on his own bed. He could see his friend perfectly even though he knew that Wildfire could hardly see him.

"What happened?" The blue-haired teenager asked.

Ryo sat up. He wiped his eyes and looked in his friend's direction. "I had a nightmare," the teenager explained.

"About what?"

"I was dreaming about the first time the Sorceress made me fight," Wildfire answered.

Rowen nodded even though he knew that his friend couldn't see it. He guessed it made sense. Even Rowen might have had nightmares after going through what Ryo had after Mason had kidnapped him.

"Why don't you go back to sleep now," Strata suggested, "I'm sure you won't have another one tonight."

Ryo lay back down. "I'll go back to sleep."

Rowen crawled back into his own bed. He pulled up his blanket and lay down again. He fell asleep but it took Ryo a while to follow. He couldn't stop thinking about the 3 times the Sorceress had made him fight. _I didn't want to do it_ , he reminded himself, _I didn't want to do it_.

…

Ryo's cheek eventually healed. He went back to sitting beside the fire while Kento and Rowen watched over him. At night Rowen would sit on the terrace and look at the sky. Kento began to sit on the ground near Ryo so that they could talk. Kento missed his armor like the other 2. But he didn't have the difficulty the blue-haired teenager had. He guessed he was lucky since his armor's element was earth.


	7. Losing Freedom, part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 7**

 _Losing Freedom_

 _Part 2_

Mason came to the Ronins one day. He saw Rowen on the terrace and Kento lying on his stomach on the ground. He didn't have to look to see Ryo sitting beside the fire; almost every time he had seen that teenager, he had always been _somewhere_ near a fire.

"Ryo," he said. The black-haired teenager looked at him. "I have guests coming tomorrow. You know the rules right?"

Ryo nodded. This was the third one so he knew what the mercenary wanted. "We'll be good," he promised. Rowen and Kento were about to ask what Mason was talking about when Ryo shot them a _I'll tell you after he's gone_ glare. The 2 kept their mouths shut.

Mason left in satisfaction; his money-maker had never gone against him when he threw his parties.

After Mason left Rowen joined the other 2. He sat on the ground a ways away from the blazing fire. Kento sat up.

"What was that about?" Kento asked.

"Mason is throwing a party," Ryo explained.

"Great! We can ask them to get us out of here," Kento happily said.

Ryo shook his head. "It's not that simple, Kento," he rebuked. "There is no way they can help us. We can't touch the walls because of those pieces of paper on them so how could they? I couldn't even _bend_ the poles of the gate when I first came here. Mason's got us effectively trapped here."

Rowen looked at the sky. "Does that mean Cye, Sage and Mia can't rescue us?" He asked.

Ryo shrugged. "I'm sure she'll find a way," he responded. "This is _Mia_ we're talking about."

Kento nodded. "She'd definitely find a way," he agreed.

Rowen wished he was that believing in her abilities. She'd never let them down before. _But_ can _she this time?_

…

Like the times before, Mason waited for all of his party guests to arrive. He stood in the main hall shaking hands with everyone and wishing them a pleasant time at his party until the last of them had arrived. Once that happened he went for the platform that the band was playing on. He stopped the music and turned to his guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He called. When he had the attention of all of them he continued. "As I am sure that most of you know by now, the grounds of my estate are off limits. They are still being redone and I wish for you not to mess with what has already been finished." He smiled at his guests. "Please stay inside here for tonight. Thank you."

Mason stepped off the platform. He went to get a drink and some food from the snack bar. His cooks had outdone themselves again.

…

In the Ronins' prison, the 3 of them were outside listening to the party.

"Do you always do this?" Kento asked.

Ryo nodded. "It was the only interesting thing when I was alone," he answered.

Kento patted his arm in sympathy. "We're here with you now, man," the teenager told him.

Rowen smiled. "Until there's food involved," he joked. "Once Kento knows that there's food around he'll desert even you for it."

Ryo smiled. "You've got a point there," he agreed.

Kento pouted. "That's not fair! I wouldn't-"

There was a sudden smell of food coming from inside the mansion. Dinner was ready for them.

Kento shot to his feet. "Dinner's here!" He excitedly said. He ran back inside before the other 2 had a chance to follow him.

"See?" Rowen whispered. "What did I tell you?"

Ryo smiled. He patted Strata's arm. "That's why you're here," he joked. "Kento's lousy company when food's involved."

The blue-haired teenager laughed. "You're right there," he agreed.

The 2 of them followed their friend inside at a more leisurely pace.

"Do you think Kento's going to eat it all before we get there?" Ryo asked.

The 2 teenagers looked at each other. As if they were thinking the same thing, both ran inside to the dining room. There was _no way_ they'd let their friend eat _everything_ before they could.

…

The Sorceress came to the Ronins' prison. She walked inside and went to the dining room. It was still early morning so she knew that Mason and her prisoners were still eating breakfast. She had seen them sitting at their table with almost half of the food in front of Kento.

The door opened before she got there. She walked into the room. Ryo was the first to notice her. She saw him tense when he saw her. She didn't feel anything as she continued to walk to the 3 teenagers.

"It is time," she told them as she stood at the end of the table.

Rowen and Ryo shared a worried look. They had a feeling they knew what she was talking about; the same had happened last time. Kento, however, didn't.

"What is this-"

Rowen jabbed his elbow into the purple-haired teenager's side. " _Later_ ," he softly hissed.

Hardrock glared at him. _What_ is _she talking about?_

Ryo and Rowen silently stood with Kento almost being dragged up by Rowen. The Sealing Marks were unlocked like all the times before. Kento felt relief when he felt his connection to the Hardrock's soul inside him. Ryo, however, was scared; he knew exactly what was about to happen. Rowen only thought about the last time this had happened.

"I want you to bring me another one of you," she told them.

Ryo and Rowen didn't say anything. Kento, on the other hand, put 2 and 2 together. _She's doing the same thing like when I was kidnapped_ , he realized.

She smiled and spoke unknown words. "Go and bring me another one of you," she reminded them.

Ryo and Rowen began walking out of the prison. Kento found himself following them with no recollection of telling his body to move.

The Sorceress continued to smile after they were gone. She tucked a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear. Then she went to find Mason.

…

Ryo, Rowen and Kento ran through the city looking for their friends. They ran and ran until they came to the hotel that the others were staying at. They ran into the building, Kento guiding them to Mia and Yuli's room.

Kento forcefully kicked open the room's door. It broke from its hinges and hit the wall behind it.

"Sage! Cye!" Kento called.

The 2 that Kento had called for looked to where the 3 others were standing. The blonde and brunette stood.

"There's no other way, is there?" Sage asked.

Ryo shook his head. "It's the same."

Wildfire saw movement coming from behind the 2 free Ronin Warriors.

"Ryo, you're back!" Yuli excitedly said. He began to run to Ryo.

"Yuli, stay away from me!" Ryo harshly commanded.

The 10 year old stopped moving. "Ryo?" He softly asked.

"I don't want to hurt you," Ryo explained. "If you get too close to me I'll be forced to."

Mia grabbed Yuli's hand. She tugged him into a corner with her. "We need to stay out of their way," she explained when the boy gave her a confused look. She put her hands on his shoulders.

There was a light around Kento, Ryo and Rowen. When it disappeared, they were wearing their subarmor. Sage and Cye immediately followed.

"Get ready," Ryo warned them. "We're coming."

Cye and Sage knew that he was warning them so they would have a chance to defend themselves.

Kento went after Cye. Ryo went after Sage again. Rowen followed Ryo.

Ryo's fist flew for Sage's cheek and the blonde's arm blocked it. Ryo's other fist went for Sage's other cheek. The blonde quickly threw Wildfire's fist away from him. He blocked the second attack with his other arm. Rowen went to kick Halo's legs out from under him but Sage flipped backwards to get out of the way.

Kento's foot went for Cye's face and the brunette bent backwards. Hardrock's fist went for Cye's face. Torrent hit Kento's fist. The brunette back flipped and brought his legs up. He spun again. His right foot went for Hardrock's head.

Sage blocked Rowen's kick. Ryo's fist connected with the blonde's arm. Halo retaliated by grabbing the black-haired teenager's arm. He threw Wildfire onto the bed behind him. The bed broke from the force. It took Ryo a second before he moved again. He jumped to his feet and ran at Halo. His arm impacted the blonde's chest and Sage slammed into the wall. Rowen kicked Sage's chest. The blonde's body indented the wall.

Kento's fists slammed on his brunette friend's back. Cye cried out as he fell. Kento's knee impacted Torrent's chest. The brunette rolled to the side. He planted his hands on the floor and jumped to his feet. He rammed into the purple-haired teenager and Kento slammed into the table. It broke in half from the impact. Hardrock landed between the 2 pieces. He grabbed onto the edges and threw himself to his feet. He ran the short distance between them. The orange fist rammed into Cye's shoulder. Torrent grabbed Kento's arm and threw the teenager over his head. Kento fell onto his back.

Rowen rammed into Sage. Ryo threw Sage to the side and Sage's elbow hit the TV. Its screen caved in from the impact. Sage shot to his feet and his green fist went for Ryo's face. Rowen hit the blonde's moving arm. Halo's fist went to the side. The black-haired teenager went for Sage's throat but the blonde rolled out of the way.

"Sorry!" Ryo hurriedly apologized.

Sage's leg hit Ryo's own and Wildfire crumpled. His hand went down to block his fall. The black-haired teenager swung himself over his hand. He landed on his feet. Rowen grabbed Sage's chest and bent backwards, causing Sage to hit the ground _hard_.

Kento's fist planted itself into Cye's side. The brunette's breath escaped. Torrent hit the wall to his side.

"Sorry!" Kento apologized. "I didn't mean to do that!"

Rowen grabbed Sage's throat. The blonde grabbed Strata's arms and forced them away. Rowen head butted him.

"Ow," Rowen muttered.

Sage threw Rowen to the side using one of Strata's arms. The blue-haired teenager's body hit a chair. The chair skidded away from the force. It almost hit Yuli in the corner of the room.

"Hey!" Yuli complained.

Rowen grimaced. "Sorry," he said.

Sage's knee hit Rowen's head. Rowen fell to the ground. He rolled a few paces. He jumped to his feet. His own fist went for the blonde's forehead. Sage fell into a crouch. He brought his fist up. The blonde hit Rowen's chest. Rowen hit the ceiling, forming a crack from the impact. Strata fell onto the edge of the second bed.

"Sorry!" Sage apologized.

Rowen pushed himself off the bed. "It's okay," he wheezed.

Ryo rammed into Sage's back. The blonde stumbled a few steps forward. Rowen's elbow rammed into Sage's side.

Kento blocked Cye's fist. The purple-haired teenager swung his fist at Cye's chest. Torrent went flying up like Rowen.

"You okay, buddy!?" Kento called.

Cye fell to the ground. "Fine," he wheezed.

"Kento, it's time to go!" Ryo yelled at Hardrock. "Rowen and I have Sage!"

Kento found himself running towards the black-haired teenager. When he reached them a bright light shone in the room. After it disappeared, the 4 Ronin Warriors were gone.

"Where did Ryo go, Mia?" Yuli asked.

"…I don't know."

…

Ryo, Rowen and Kento appeared with Rowen and Ryo holding down Sage. All but Sage returned to their regular clothes.

"Go back to your clothes," Ryo hissed in Sage's ear like last time. "Don't let her _see_ it."

Ryo knew it was just paranoia. The Sorceress had already seen his multiple times. But there was something about keeping what Sage's subarmor looked like from her.

Sage returned to his street clothes. He felt his armor return to its soul inside him. He tried to stand but Rowen and Ryo held on tighter. The blonde looked at Wildfire for an answer when the door opened. Sage felt Ryo's hand shake a little when she came in. When he looked at Rowen, he saw the understanding his eyes. Kento's was purely anger.

"Hello," she said when she came to a stop before Halo. "You must be Sage."

The blonde noticed a man in a black suit and blood red tie standing beside the door. He held something in his hands but Sage couldn't see what it was.

"I am called the Sorceress," she told the blonde.

"And I am Mason," the man by the door said.

Sage didn't bother introducing himself; the Sorceress already knew who he was.

Like with Kento, the woman's hand reached out. Ryo tensed as it came near them. The woman didn't stop moving. Her hand cupped the right side of Sage's neck and she spoke words that none in the room understood. Sage felt a burning sensation go around the base of his neck. He hissed from the pain that came with it. When both disappeared, Sage felt his connection to the Halo's soul break.

 _What just happened?_ Sage thought. He had never felt the connection to the Halo's soul break before now.

Mason came to the woman. He handed her something that looked like a piece of silver metal. Rowen grabbed his right wrist. The Sorceress put the metal on Sage's wrist. Like with Kento's it bent like it was elastic. When it completely circled the blonde's wrist the Sorceress' finger ran down the edges of it. Like the bracelets of the other 3 Ronin Warriors, the seam disappeared as her finger ran down it.

Rowen and Ryo let Sage go. The blonde stood and he touched the bracelet on his wrist.

"There is a tracking chip inside it," Mason explained. "It will make sure that you can never run from me."

Rowen nodded when Halo looked to him for conformation.

 _There is a tracking chip inside it?_ Sage thought. _What does Mason want so bad to keep us here?_

Ryo tensed again when the woman touched his forehead. The unknown words from earlier were repeated. Her fingers then went to Rowen and she repeated the process. Kento was the last for that to be done to. Once she stepped back, the Sealing Marks were locked again.

Mason and the Sorceress left the room. The door shut behind the man and woman.

"Okay," Sage said a few seconds later, "what the _heck_ is going on?"

Rowen looked to Ryo. "You want to tell him?" The blue-haired teenager asked.

Ryo shrugged. "Might as well," he said. "Let's go outside to talk, though. I'm sure Sage will appreciate it."

Sage followed the other 3 through their prison. He noticed much to his surprise that his friends were well taken care of. He didn't really know what he had been expecting but at least his friends were being taken care of. _But why?_ He asked.

…

Cye was with Mia and Yuli as Mia checked them out of the hotel. After his friends had disappeared, Mia had declared that it would be best to leave the hotel before anyone saw the trashed room. The brunette knew that Mia was scared; out of the 5 of them, he was the only one left. He was sure Mia wanted to leave to make sure that _he_ wasn't kidnapped as well. Like the young woman, he was sure that, since Sage had also been kidnapped, that whatever happened to Ryo after he had been kidnapped involved all 5 Ronin Warriors.

The brunette felt the Torrent lose some of its power. The links between the armors had all been broken now. Cye knew that the others hadn't lost as much power as he did. Their armors were still linked to each other while _his_ was the one that was broken from it.

…

Sage, Rowen, Ryo and Kento were sitting on the terrace.

"You were forced to fight?" Sage asked.

Ryo nodded. "3 times," he added.

"What happened after that?"

Ryo looked at the sky. "The Inferno came out," he answered.

"…what?" Sage asked.

"Someone was about to kill me the third time I was forced to fight," Ryo explained. "You know what the Inferno is like when that happens."

The blonde nodded. "It saved your life," he stated.

The black-haired teenager nodded. "But it killed over half of that huge group of people to do so," he told Halo.

Sage grimaced at his friend's words. "Did anything happen because of that?"

Ryo nodded again. "The Sorceress saw it. I guess she told Mason because they had forced me to tell them about that armor."

"You should have seen it, Sage," Kento interrupted, "Ryo had this burn on his cheek from it when I was kidnapped."

The blonde gave Wildfire a confused look. "You had a burn? I thought it was impossible for you to get burned."

Ryo looked at his blonde friend. "She's got this power, Sage," he told him, "I don't understand it but that was what she had used to burn my cheek. It was that unknown power that caused me to tell her about the Inferno."

"Did she do anything else?"

"Yeah," the black-haired teenager replied, "I don't know how but she made it so I felt pain even though I wasn't wounded. I didn't tell her about it then. It wasn't till it turned into _agony_ that I finally broke. That was when I told her everything."

Sage thought about what Ryo had told him. "I wonder if it's because she and Mason know about the Inferno that the rest of us are being kidnapped. They must want the Inferno for some reason."

This time it was Rowen who nodded. "What Sage said makes sense," he told Ryo and Kento, "it takes _all_ 5 of us to create the Inferno after all."

…

One day after Sage's kidnapping, the 4 teenagers were outside. Rowen looked to the sky from his seat on the terrace beside Sage. "It's going to rain soon," Strata commented.

Ryo looked at the cloudless sky. He couldn't see any indication of the rain that Rowen said was coming. Even with that the black-haired teenager put out the fire. He went to the terrace and sat on the other side of Sage. Kento soon joined them. He sat beside Strata. All 4 waited for the rainstorm that Rowen had said was coming.

"You know, I'll miss the sun," Sage suddenly said as he looked at the sun. The other 3 teenagers understood the reason Halo had said that. They all knew that he was missing his armor just as much as them. The blonde was using sunlight to get as close to his element that he could.

Half an hour later it started to rain.

Sage looked at Ryo. "We should go inside," the blonde told the others.

"But it's fine out here," Ryo protested. "We can stay out here while it rains."

"The rain's cold, Ryo," Sage flatly told him.

Kento had to about drag Wildfire inside with the others. They went to their bedroom to wait out the rain. Each sat on their own bed as they waited.

"What do you think will happen now?" Kento asked.

Rowen looked at the purple-haired teenager. "After we've been sent to kidnap both you and Sage, I'm sure it's obvious what will happen next."

Ryo looked at Rowen. "I guess we'll be forced to kidnap Cye, won't we?"

Rowen nodded. "It's only logical since they already have the 4 of us. If what Sage said is true, they're going to want _all_ of us."

Ryo looked at his feet that were on the bed in front of him. "I guess it's my fault this is happening."

Sage gave him a _don't blame yourself_ look. "You tried to keep the Inferno a secret, Ryo," the blonde reminded him. "You can't be blamed for what the Sorceress had done to get that information out of you."

No one said anything as the shadows from the windows lengthened. The day was coming to a close. Rowen moved to one of the window ledges in the room. He sat on the edge with his left shoulder pressed against the glass. The other 3 in the room watched as Rowen's face moved up. Sage knew that his blue-haired friend must be missing his element more right now. None of them could go outside yet since it was still raining hard. All Rowen could do was sit by the window and take what little moonlight that came through.

…

Mia had rented a single room in another hotel a ways away from their last. Since it was only the 3 of them left, she had decided that it wasn't worth renting 2 hotel rooms. Cye could sleep with Yuli until they could find the missing Ronins.

The next morning Cye, Mia and Yuli began to look for any clues about their missing friends. Cye and Mia were scared of what could be happening to them right now. They thought that anything was possible now since Kento, Ryo and Rowen had been forced to kidnap Sage. Yuli, however, didn't understand the full ramifications of what might be happening to them. All that the 10 year old wanted was for them to come back.

But it was Ryo that he wanted back the most.

…

Ryo was sitting with Sage and Rowen when Sage spoke.

"You need to go inside, Ryo," the blonde told him.

"Why?" Ryo asked.

Rowen pointed to one of Wildfire's arms. "You're getting sunburned," he stated.

Ryo sighed and bonelessly leaned back in his chair.

"Why," he asked, "why is it that I only get sunburned?"

"Maybe it's because sunburns come from the sun and not from actual heat like a fire," Sage replied.

Ryo stood. "You won't let me stay out here, will you?"

Sage smiled. "No, we won't. Go inside, Ryo. I'll come to you after I grab something."

Ryo walked inside the mansion.

"What are you getting, Sage?" Rowen asked.

"Some Aloe Vera," the blonde replied. "It helps with sunburns."

Halo went to the gate.

"Is there anyone here?" He called.

A person's head peeked around the corner.

"What do you want?" They asked.

Sage put on his most non-threatening face possible. "I'd like some Aloe Vera. My friend's got a sunburn."

The person went back around the corner. The blonde heard foots steps going away from the gate. He waited for the guard to come back with what he wanted. When he was passed the bottle of it Halo thanked the man.

The teenager went to find his friend. Ryo was sitting in the dining room waiting for him to come. Sage sat beside Ryo.

"Give me one of your arms," he told Wildfire.

When Ryo gave him his left arm, Sage gently rubbed the gel onto his arm. Ryo hissed when the gel came in contact with his skin.

"Sorry," Sage apologized as he continued, "I guess we should have kept a closer watch for this."

Ryo shook his head. "It's okay," he told his friend.

Sage let go of the arm and Ryo gave him his other.

"This isn't going to be easy," the blonde commented as he put some of the gel on Ryo's arm. "The bracelet's in the way and we can't take it off."

Ryo looked at the offending object. "I guess you'll have to move it while you rub it in."

Halo nodded. He rubbed the gel on his friend's upper arm. When that was finished, Sage's hands started from the elbow and went down it. When he reached the area with the bracelet, he maneuvered it so that he could get the gel underneath it and onto Ryo's wrist.

Then the blonde capped the bottle.

Ryo moved to go back outside. Sage carefully grabbed the black-haired teenager's arm.

"You're not going outside until the sunburns heal," he told him.

Ryo sat back down.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Wildfire asked.

"Since it's our bodies we're talking about, probably only a few hours."

Sage stayed with his friend until the sunburns had healed. Once they were gone, both headed back outside. Ryo went straight to the fire pit. Sage joined Rowen on the terrace.

"How bad was it?" Rowen asked.

"Not that bad," Sage answered. "It didn't take very long this time."

…

Rowen, Sage, Kento and Ryo were sent back out soon after that.

Sage and Kento led the other 2 to their hotel. When they went inside, the receptionist looked them over. She remembered 3 of them. The fourth she'd never seen before.

"Can I help you?" She asked from behind her desk when they came to her.

Sage nodded. "I'm just looking for my friends," he answered. "They're staying here right now."

The receptionist looked closer at the blonde. He looked familiar but she couldn't place him. When it finally came to her, she frowned.

"That woman owes us money," she coldly stated. "She left a room completely destroyed."

Kento and Ryo winced. The fight against Sage and Cye came back to them.

"Sorry," Ryo muttered.

"Do you know where she went?" Sage asked.

She shook her head. "But when you find her, tell her that she owes us money for the damage she caused."

 _We caused_ , Ryo silently corrected. _She had_ nothing _to do with it_.

Ryo was about to correct her when Rowen put a hand on his shoulder and gave him the _it's better not to tell her_ look. The black-haired teenager nodded. He kept his mouth shut as Halo finished their conversation.

The 4 teenagers left the hotel with a promise they never intended to keep. They walked through the city looking for their friends. They couldn't go back to Mason's estate until they had successfully kidnapped the only remaining Ronin Warrior.

After what felt like eternity the 4 teenagers heard Yuli's voice. They found themselves running in the direction the boy's voice had come from. They found him, Cye and Mia in a park by themselves. Out of the 3, Cye was the first to notice them.

"I take it you've come for me?" Cye asked.

Sage nodded.

"Just fight us, Cye. You can't be kidnapped as well," Ryo told the brunette.

Torrent knew that his friend wouldn't ask him to do so if there wasn't a reason. The brunette nodded his head. He called to the Torrent's soul. Cye felt the subarmor wrap around his body. Sage, Ryo, Kento and Rowen followed.

Cye didn't have much time to get ready to defend himself. Ryo was running for him before he knew it. The brunette jumped into the air. He grabbed Wildfire's shoulders and went over him. The brunette landed on his feet.

"Incoming!" Kento yelled.

Cye's arms crossed in front of him. He took the brunt of the purple-haired teenager's fist on them. Torrent skidded back a few paces before he could stop himself from moving. Hardrock threw a kick at his friend's stomach. The brunette fell back onto his hands. Kento's foot missed its target. Cye's legs went up. His shins hit Kento's stomach. The larger teenager flew over Torrent.

Ryo's fist aimed for the side of Cye's head. Torrent saw it coming out of the corner of his eye. He dodged and his own hit Ryo's face.

"Sorry," Cye apologized.

Sage was the next to go for Cye. He grabbed the brunette's arm and swung him around. Torrent flew from the blonde's grasp. The brunette's back hit the ground a few feet away. Sage ran at his friend. Both of his fists held each other when they went down on Cye's head. The brunette's arms went to shield himself. Sage's fists hit the other's crossed arms. He jumped back. Cye's feet hit the ground and he flipped into the air again. He landed on his feet.

Ryo and Rowen came from different sides. Ryo's fist came from the left. Rowen's fist came from the right.

"Watch out!" Ryo yelled.

Cye bent backwards. He pushed himself over using his hands. Ryo and Rowen collided with each other. Rowen grabbed Ryo's arm to keep each other from falling. Ryo still fell on top of Strata. Wildfire used his hands to push against his friend's blue chest. The black-haired teenager spun several times in the air. He landed behind Cye. Ryo's leg went to trip his friend.

"Jump!" Ryo cried.

Cye didn't wait. He jumped into the air. The red leg flew underneath him. Ryo's left hand planted on the ground. He pushed himself up sideways and landed on his feet. Cye's fist hit Ryo's shoulder. Wildfire went crashing a few feet away from the brunette.

"I didn't want to do that!" Cye yelled.

Ryo got off the floor. "It's okay!" The black-haired teenager saw an orange blur. "Cye, watch out! Kento's coming from behind you!"

Cye flipped around. Kento slammed into the brunette. Both fell onto the ground. Torrent grunted as he flipped Kento's body over him using his feet and hands.

"You're heavy, Kento," the brunette commented.

Kento smashed into the ground. He rolled onto his back. His hands went behind him. He jumped to his feet. He went for Cye again.

Rowen's fist smashed into Cye's cheek. Torrent started falling away from the blue-haired teenager. Rowen grabbed Cye's wrist. He pulled the brunette forward to stop him from falling.

"Make me let go of you before it's too late!" Rowen commanded.

Cye's free fist went for Rowen's own cheek. Strata let go to stop himself from falling.

"You're doing great, Cye!" Ryo exclaimed.

Yuli started laughing. "You're telling him he's doing great even though you're fighting him!"

"Yuli! Don't distract them," Mia chastised.

The boy looked at the brunette woman. "Sorry, Mia," he responded.

Ryo's leg went for Cye's blue ones. Cye didn't have a chance to move. He went down in a tangle. The black-haired teenager threw himself at him.

"Watch-" Ryo wasn't able to finish his sentence. He felt his vocal chords close.

From Kento, Sage and Rowen's shocked faces, the same had been done to them.

 _Transform_ , a female voice commanded in Ryo, Sage, Kento and Rowen's head.

The 4 Ronin Warriors panicked. If they transformed again, they were sure that Cye would lose.

 _Transform_ , the female voice said again.

Ryo, Sage, Rowen and Kento felt their armor's souls react to the command. They put on their armors.

Cye could only stare at the sight of his friends in their full armors.

"What's going on Ryo?" Cye asked. When Wildfire didn't answer, the brunette asked the others. When they made no sound, Torrent became confused. It was as if their speaking ability had been suddenly cut off.

"Armor of Torrent, Dao Shin," Cye softly said. His own armor wrapped itself around him.

Ryo unsheathed his swords. Kento took his staff from his back. Sage grabbed his sword from his back. Rowen grabbed his bow from behind him. Cye grabbed his own trident.

Sage ran at Cye. His sword was slightly backwards as he held it by his side. Cye met him halfway. His trident's top went for the blonde's stomach.

"Sorry," the brunette apologized.

Sage shook his head. Cye's trident hit the green chest. There was a scrapping sound. Sage jumped back. Ryo's swords came from the side. They hit Cye. Rowen's arrow went for Cye's neck.

"Hey, hey! Don't do that, Rowen!" Cye admonished.

Cye went down to the ground. Rowen's arrow flew over Cye's helmet. Cye shot straight up. He twirled his trident. He ran at Rowen. Rowen's bow barely blocked it. The blue-haired teenager threw the brunette's weapon high into the air. One of Strata's fists went for Cye's face. This time Rowen's fist connected.

Kento grabbed onto Cye's waist. He went wide-eyed. Ryo saw Kento holding onto Cye. Sage, Kento, Ryo and Rowen's vocal chords were freed.

Ryo hurriedly spun to Mia. "Mason's the one who has us with a woman's help!" He yelled.

Before Ryo could say anything more, all 5 Ronins disappeared in a bright light. When it cleared, all five teenagers were gone.

"RYO!" Yuli screamed.

Mia's eyes closed and her head went to the right a little. There was a look of grief on her face. _They're gone_.

…

The 5 Ronins appeared in the same room that they had come to after kidnapping both Kento and Sage.

Kento was still holding Cye around the waist. He let the brunette go and Ryo and Sage tightly grabbed Torrent's shoulders and arms.

"Go back to your clothes," Ryo hissed in his friend's ear. "Hurry before she gets here!"

Cye did as his friend asked. He felt the Torrent's soul settle inside him again.

The only door to the room opened. A woman wearing a long, flowing black dress came inside, followed by a man in a black suit and blood red tie. The woman stopped in front of the brunette while the man stayed by the door.

Cye felt Ryo's hand shake a little on his arm. He looked at his friend to find fear in Wildfire's eyes.

"So you are the last one," the woman said. "You may call me the Sorceress, Cye."

"I am Mason," the man by the door told the brunette.

Cye saw Ryo tense when the woman's fingers reached for them. _What's wrong with Ryo?_ Cye thought.

He looked at his other friends. He saw understanding in Rowen's eyes as he watched Ryo. Sage was impassive as if he was wearing a mask. It was Kento's face that confused him the most. There was anger written on it. It was if the woman had done something that Kento hated.

The Sorceress' hand cupped the right side of Cye's neck and she spoke words that none in the room understood. There was a burning sensation around the base of the brunette's neck. When it disappeared, Cye felt his connection to the Torrent's soul break.

Mason came to the Sorceress holding the same piece of silver metal that was on the other Ronin Warriors' wrists. The woman took it and wrapped it around the brunette's wrist as if it was elastic. Cye watched as her finger went down the edges of the metal she held together. By the time the Sorceress' finger left Cye's new bracelet, there was no seam where the ends had been connected.

"There is a tracking chip inside," Mason explained as Torrent fiddled with his new bracelet. "That will insure that you can never run or hide from me."

The brunette gave him an odd look. _Why does he want to keep track of me?_

The Sorceress once again touched Ryo, Rowen, Sage and Kento's foreheads and repeated the unknown words from last time. Then their Sealing Marks were locked again.

Mason turned to the door. "Shall we go?" He asked the Sorceress. The woman smiled and walked out of the room behind Mason.

Ryo and Sage let go of Cye's shoulders and arms. Wildfire sat beside Torrent as if he was tired.

"We're all together again," the black-haired teenager stated.

Sage also sat beside Cye. "Looks like they won," he commented.

Kento leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. " _How_ could you let yourself be kidnapped, Cye?"

Torrent looked from Ryo to Sage to Kento, then finally to Rowen.

"What's going on, Rowen?" The brunette asked.

"It's a long story," Rowen replied.

Ryo leaned back on his hands. "Let me tell him, Rowen. After all I'm the one who did it."

Strata nodded. Cye looked at Ryo.

"What happened, Ryo?" He asked.

Ryo told Cye about the 3 times he had been forced to fight by the Sorceress and about what the Inferno had done the last time he had fought. Then Ryo told Cye that the Sorceress and Mason knew about the Inferno.

"How could they know? We've never told anyone about the Inferno before," Cye pointed out.

"It was the Sorceress who made me tell her," Ryo answered. He told his friend how Ryo hadn't said anything until the Sorceress burned his cheek and made him feel pain.

"What will they do now that they have all of us here?" Cye asked after Ryo had finished his story.

"Do you think they'll force Ryo to fight with the Inferno since Mason and the Sorceress know about it?" Kento asked.

Kento's words scared them.

"But how _can_ she force Ryo into fighting with the Inferno?" Cye asked.

"She's got this strange power, Cye," Ryo explained. "She's used that power to force me to fight those 3 fights I was telling you about. It was also that power that had caused her to burn my cheek."

"He's telling the truth," Rowen told Torrent, "I saw that burn after I was kidnapped."

"I did, too," Kento added.

"But how was she able to _burn_ Ryo's cheek? Nothing can burn Ryo," Cye pointed out.

"I don't know how she did it. All I know is that she spoke words that I couldn't understand before she touched my cheek. It was her _hand_ that burned me, Cye."

The brunette looked at the ceiling. He knew he didn't like the Sorceress; he was sure that none of his friends did. _Well, except Ryo. It's as if he's scared of her. I guess after what she's done to him, it's logical that he'd be scared of her_ , he thought.

"Oh," Kento said as if he just remembered something," they've got a pool here."

Torrent gave him a funny look. "Why would they have a pool?"

Ryo shrugged. "Don't really know," he answered.

"It's probably because it's part of the whole comfortable-living décor. As funny as it sounds, Cye, it seems like Ryo's been well taken-care of here," Sage explained.

The brunette looked at Ryo as if thinking about something.

"I'm surprised," Torrent said, "you'd think that they _wouldn't_ take good care of Ryo since Ryo's their prisoner."

" _We're_ their prisoner," Sage reminded the brunette.

"Wouldn't it have been for _Ryo_?" Cye asked. "I don't think that we were in the original plan. Not when they didn't start kidnapping us until _after_ Ryo told them about the Inferno."

Kento pushed off from the wall. "Well, I'm going back outside since we're back 'home'," Kento said.

Cye snickered.

Kento left with the others following behind him. They walked outside. When Cye left the mansion, his eyes immediately went for the pool.

"Do we have any swimming trunks?" Cye asked.

Ryo nodded. "They're in the bedroom."

Cye went back inside. After about 10 minutes he came back with a pair on. He went straight to the pool and dived inside. Torrent didn't come up for air for a while. Ryo and the others weren't worried about it.

Ryo went to the fire pit. He started the fire and sat down beside it. Kento lay close to Wildfire. Rowen joined Sage on the terrace. He sat down beside the blonde at one of the tables. His eyes went to Ryo's back. Sage also watched Ryo.

"I'm surprised that he just _sits_ there almost all day," Rowen commented.

Sage shrugged. "He misses his armor like the rest of us. I would think he'd miss his a lot more than any of us after being without it for so long," he told his blue-haired friend.

"Still, it's got to be boring sitting in front of the fire like that."

"He probably thinks while he's like that."

"About what?" Rowen asked.

Sage shrugged again. "Don't know," he replied.

Kento lay on his side with his hand holding his head. He watched as the brunette finally came up for air. "It still surprises me at times how long Cye can hold his breath," he commented. "It's not normal for someone to be able to do it for that long."

"Cye's element is water," Ryo reminded the purple-haired teenager. "It shouldn't be that surprising."

"Now what'd be cool is if he could _breathe_ underwater," Kento said.

Ryo didn't say anything. His mind was somewhere else.

He missed his tiger. White Blaze had been with him for so long that it felt weird to go so long without seeing him.

"Do you think White Blaze is okay?" Ryo asked Kento.

Kento grinned. "He's a _tiger_ , Ryo. Of course he'd be okay. Besides, he's at Mia's. He won't be lonely with all that land around it."

Ryo smiled slightly. Mia's place wasn't near the city so he didn't have to worry about someone seeing the tiger. The problem was that he missed White Blaze. He wanted to go home to be with his tiger again.

…

It had been _days_ since Cye had been kidnapped. Mia and Yuli were now alone as they searched for all 5 of the Ronin Warriors.

Ryo had given Mia a clue before he had disappeared with the others. The only problem with Ryo's clue is that it wasn't much to go on. They were in a huge city so there were many different people who bore the name 'Mason'.

RME: you know when I first started writing the last chapter I had planned to make each kidnapping a separate chapter. It was a fine idea, really, but it had one problem. Each chapter was too short for my liking. When I got to Sage's I decided 'screw it, I'm putting all 4 into 2 chapters'. And hence _Losing Freedom_ part 1 and part 2 were born. I thought it worked out rather well, really.


	8. Wanting the Inferno

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

RME: you know, after all that I have written so far, I've finally gotten to the part that I've been wanting to write the most since when I was coming up with this story. I'd have started with this arc but most likely none of it would have made sense. So, instead, it took me over _35,000_ words to be able to write this part. *cries* I'm so mean to myself.

 **Chapter 8**

 _Wanting the Inferno_

Mason and the Sorceress were eating breakfast one morning as they began to plan what to do next since they had all 5 Ronin Warriors in their grasp now. There were 2 options that they could go with and they liked both the same.

"Should you return to making your offers again?" The Sorceress asked.

"I want to make sure that you are able to make Ryo wear the Inferno armor and then force him to fight with it before I make the next offer," Mason replied from his seat at the end of the table.

"Do you not believe I can, Mason?" The woman asked from the seat on the left side of the mercenary.

The man shook his head. "I am sure you can," he answered. "But I'd like to make sure first so nothing will go wrong with the next offer."

There was silence between the 2 as they finished eating breakfast. When the Sorceress finished hers, she grabbed the full skirt of her black dress.

"If you'll excuse me," the woman said.

She stood, being careful not to step on her dress. She walked out of Mason's dining room and to the prison that the Ronin Warriors were in. When she came to the gate, she held up her hand to the guard around the corner.

"You don't need to leave your post," she told him. "I will let myself in."

She walked by the man and went to the gate around the corner. It opened right before she came to it. The woman walked inside, going straight to the teenagers' own dining room. When she opened the door, she found all 5 still eating. Again, to her amusement, it looked as if _half_ of the food they had been given was in front of Kento.

Rowen was the first to see her. He nudged the blonde and motioned with his head to look at the door. When Sage saw the Sorceress coming, he nudged Kento and nodded in her direction. Rowen poked Cye with his finger and his head again nodded at her. Ryo was the only one who actually had a reaction to her presence. Wildfire tensed when he saw her come towards him. Kento stood and walked in front of Ryo.

"What do you want?" The purple-haired teenager asked.

"I've come for Ryo," she simply stated.

"Over my dead body," Hardrock replied.

"There's no need to be in such a rush, Kento," she pleasantly told him.

The Sorceress spoke words that none of the teenagers understood. Ryo felt himself move while the other 4 felt themselves freeze.

"Come along, Ryo," the woman said as she turned.

The black-haired teenager walked behind her as they left the dining room in the Ronins' prison. He stayed behind her when she left the prison. She led him through the mansion until they came to a door in a hallway. She opened it and walked inside. Ryo found himself following her inside.

He sat on the floor a ways away from the wall. The woman came to him and took his left arm. He saw her reach behind him. There was a noise of metal moving across metal behind him. A shackle with a chain was brought around the teenager. It went around his left wrist. When the woman let his arm go, Wildfire moved his arm forwards. He found that the chain wasn't that long as it didn't go far in front of him. His arm went down to his lap.

The Sorceress stood and looked down at him. She spoke words that Ryo was getting familiar with hearing even though he still couldn't understand them. He felt his body freeze once she was done speaking.

"And now it's time to check," she said.

Ryo felt something call to the Inferno inside him. He felt his energy begin to slowly drain, and the Inferno was forced out and onto his body. Ryo knew that none of his friends had consented to this because the Inferno was using _his energy_ to sustain itself.

Then the Inferno did something that the Sorceress didn't expect. Ryo's left arm strained against the shackle on his wrist. Ryo could tell that the woman was surprised that Ryo could move again. It took her a couple of seconds to get over her surprise before she reacted to Ryo's movement.

The words she had spoken earlier came from her lips again. Ryo felt his body freeze again. The Inferno, however, wasn't pleased with its bearer being in this situation. It struggled extremely hard to free the black-haired teenager. It wanted him _away_ from this threat to his safety.

The Sorceresses changed her tactic. She used Ryo's Sealing Mark to make Ryo completely freeze. This time even the white armor couldn't fight against it.

Once she had stopped Ryo's body from moving, the Sorceress began what she had brought Ryo here to do. She delved into the teenager to find the entity that she knew was the Inferno. When she felt what she was looking for, she began to try to connect his second armor to his Sealing Mark.

But there was a problem that she had never come across before.

No matter how the woman tried, the Inferno wouldn't connect to the mark that she had placed around Wildfire's neck. It was as if the entity was something she couldn't grab no matter how she tried.

Ryo sat there feeling something trying to move inside him that refused to budge. He didn't know how long he spent on the floor of that room with the Sorceress' hand on the right side of his neck. When she finally removed her hand that feeling inside disappeared.

"Interesting," he heard the woman murmur, "I cannot gain control over the Inferno's soul inside him."

 _She doesn't know why_ , he thought.

Ryo knew the reason why – all of the Ronin Warriors knew the reason why.

She stood. Ryo could feel the Inferno begin to return to its place inside of him. When the white armor disappeared, he was wearing his clothes again.

The woman bent and released the teenager's wrist from the shackle. Ryo felt himself stand up. He followed her back to his prison where the others were waiting for him. After he was inside the prison again, the gate was closed and the Sorceress left.

…

The Sorceress went to Mason. She found him in the living room of the mansion, talking on the phone. She sat on the couch close to him and waited. The mercenary looked at her then told the person he was talking to that he'd call again. He hung up and turned his full attention to her.

"How did it go?" He asked.

The woman shook her head. "Surprisingly, that white armor of Ryo's is trickier than I thought," she told him, "I could not connect it to his Sealing Mark."

"What does that mean?" Mason asked.

The woman tucked a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear. "That means that I have no control over that armor," she explained.

The Sorceress could tell that the man was confused.

"But I thought you could do anything with those supernatural powers of yours," Mason stated.

"It's not that simple, Mason," she told the man, "I've never come across this type of thing before."

"We _need_ that armor," Mason reminded her.

"I agree," she told him, "but I would need to gain complete control over it if we want to use it."

Mason smiled. "Can you imagine the power that I would hold in my hands if we have that white armor and the 4 others fighting?"

The Sorceress frowned. " _We_ , Mason, _we_ ," she reminded him.

"Still," Mason said, "can you imagine the amount of money I would get from this if we could use the Inferno alongside the other 4 armors?"

Mason could picture it: Ryo in the Inferno leading the other 4 Ronin Warriors who were fighting in their own armors in battle.

"That armor will bring in a lot more money if we can use it. If what you said is true, then that single armor is more powerful than the others combined."

"That's what _Ryo_ said. I have never seen the other Ronin Warriors fight yet," the Sorceress corrected him.

"But can you get control over it?" Mason asked.

"I will somehow," she replied. "I'll begin tomorrow."

"I hope it won't take too long."

"We'll have to see."

…

Ryo and the others had pulled chairs together at a single table on the terrace. Ryo was recounting what the Sorceress had tried when she had taken Ryo away from them.

"Are you saying she doesn't know?" Rowen asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Ryo replied. "She said ' _inside him_ ' remember?"

Sage nodded. "So you're saying that she doesn't know that the Inferno's soul isn't actually inside you?"

"That's what I said," Ryo agreed.

"But, what I don't understand is how she could have forced you to _wear_ the Inferno," Sage told them.

"I don't know, Sage," Ryo responded. "But, even though she was able to, she couldn't control it for some reason."

"Could the reason be that all of our armor's souls are inside us, including the Wildfire's, but the Inferno's _isn't_ inside Ryo?" Sage asked.

All of them knew that the Inferno's soul was inside White Blaze. Ryo's body could not handle having both the Wildfire and the Inferno's souls with his own inside him. Because of this, after Ryo had received the armor, it had gone inside the tiger.

"It's possible that the reason that the Sorceress can't control the Inferno is because its soul isn't inside Ryo," Rowen agreed.

"I just hope she never finds out," Ryo told them.

"I don't think any of us _want_ her to know about it," Sage added.

…

The Sorceress came for Ryo the next day like she had promised. Like last time, she led him to a room with multiple tables and a bookcase against one of the walls. There were objects on the tables, some of which were foreign to the teenager.

He was sat on the ground again. This time, both of his wrists were put in shackles with chains that were shorter than last time. Once the Sorceress was sure that he couldn't run, she went to one of the tables that had opened books on it. She took an open one and placed in on the table in front of her. She started flipping through the pages as if looking for something specific. She eventually stopped and her finger went across, then down both pages as if she was reading a cooking recipe.

Ryo saw her grab an object that looked like a syringe and put it on the table beside the book. Then she began mixing liquids that he didn't recognize. The black-haired teenager felt fear rising inside him as he watched. He didn't know what the woman was going to do. Heck, he didn't even know _why_ she was doing it. The third thing that he didn't know was why he was the only one that she had taken here.

…

Sage, Rowen, Kento and Cye were inside their prison, worrying about what was happening to their black-haired friend. None of them knew why she had taken him. At the beginning they had been making guesses as to why she had come back for him. She already knew that she couldn't control the Inferno now so they didn't believe she'd try to force Ryo to wear it again.

Dread filled them when they felt the powers of their armors disappear for a few seconds. Whatever was going on, they now knew it had something to do with the Inferno.

They eventually heard the gate to their prison open up. The 4 teenagers looked at each other than shot to their feet. They ran to the gate to see if Wildfire had been taken back to them. When they came close enough they saw Ryo leaning against the wall beside the gate. He had his head down and was holding his stomach as if he was queasy. He looked up at his running friends and smiled slightly.

Then he began to tilt forwards.

He fell forward as if he couldn't hold himself up anymore.

"Ryo!" Sage yelled in a panic. He ran faster to catch his falling friend. Right before the black-haired teenager hit the ground, Sage's arms went underneath him. "Easy," Sage whispered as he helped Wildfire sit.

By the time Ryo was leaning against the wall with the blonde crouched before him, the others were standing behind Halo.

"What happened?" Sage gently asked.

Ryo looked at the gate as if he wanted to make sure no one was listening. Then he turned to his friends. "I'd rather not talk here," he whispered. "I don't want anyone listening besides you guys."

Sage looked at Kento. The bigger boy understood what his friend wanted. Hardrock went to Ryo and picked the teenager up. Halo didn't think Ryo would appreciate having to walk on his own when he felt queasy. The blonde led everyone to their bedroom with Kento walking behind him. The others followed after him.

Ryo was sat on his bed and the teenager held his stomach with both his arms again. Sage and the others sat on the beds near the black-haired teenager.

"What happened?" Sage gently asked again.

"She tried to get control of the Inferno," Wildfire explained.

Fear rushed through Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye. She was trying to get _control_ of the _Inferno_? They were scared that she _would_ find a way to control the Inferno. If she had complete control over the Wildfire and the other armors, wasn't it possible for her to do the same to the Inferno?

"But why do you look so queasy?" Cye asked.

"She injected me with something," Ryo explained, "there were so many different types that I lost track of how many."

"Why don't you get some sleep, Ryo," Sage suggested. "You might feel better after sleeping a little."

Ryo carefully nodded his head. He slowly moved the blanket down then settled into bed. Once he was covered, it didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Once the black-haired teenager was asleep, Rowen led the others out to the terrace. They brought 4 chairs around a single table and sat down. Cye was the first to speak.

"Do you think she'll continue to try to get control of the Inferno?" The brunette asked.

"I have a feeling she won't stop trying until she does," Rowen answered.

"There must be something that we can do to stop her," Sage stated.

"If there is, I don't know of anything."

"But will Ryo continue to get queasy after each time?" Cye asked.

"I hope that's all that will happen," Rowen replied.

Sage shook his head. "I think that this is only the beginning. I have a feeling that his condition will get worse the more times she tries to get control of the Inferno," he told the others.

"Then what can we do if it does?" Kento asked.

"I think that all we can do is help him recover after each time," Rowen answered.

"Do you think that being near fire will help him?" Cye asked.

"I don't know, Cye," Rowen replied, "I don't know if fire will help him this time since he isn't actually injured."

"It won't hurt to try," Sage told the blue-haired teenager.

…

Ryo woke still feeling a little queasy. He carefully got out of bed and went to find his friends. When he walked outside their bedroom, he could smell food. Ryo felt a little queasier because of it.

 _At least I know where they are_ , he thought.

He walked to the dining room. When he opened the door he saw the familiar sight of his friends eating with it looking as if half of the food was in front of Kento. The black-haired teenager sat in his seat at the table. He looked at the food but didn't take any.

"Are you going to eat, Ryo?" Cye asked when he saw that Wildfire hadn't moved to grab any of the food.

Ryo just shook his head as if to say _I don't want to eat right now_.

"Are you still feeling queasy?" Sage asked.

"Yeah," Ryo answered. "It hasn't gone completely away yet."

Wildfire left the room. Sage and the others let their friend go.

When Strata and the others came outside, they found their friend back in his place beside the blazing fire pit. They went to Wildfire.

"Are you feeling any better?" Rowen asked from behind the black-haired teenager.

"Not really," Ryo answered.

"I think it's because you aren't actually injured," Rowen stated.

Strata and the others left Wildfire at the fire. Kento lay down beside Ryo like usual while Rowen and Sage sat on the terrace with Rowen waiting for nightfall. Cye went inside to change then headed for the pool. They spent a couple of hours like this until night came. Once it got dark Ryo, Cye and Kento joined Rowen and Sage on the terrace. They sat outside for a while so their blue-haired friend could bath in the moonlight. Once Rowen had gotten his fill for the night, all 5 went to bed.

Ryo woke up the next morning feeling fine.

Everything was normal until the Sorceress came back a few days later. After that, it only kept getting worse.

RME: yeah, yeah…I know: short chapter. But, hey, at least now you know why I wanted to write this part the most. You do know, right?


	9. Ryo's Sudden Situation

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 9**

 _Ryo's Sudden Situation_

Ryo was taken out of the prison again and back to where the Sorceress had taken him last time.

Sage, Rowen, Kento and Cye waited beside the prison's gate this time. They were worried about the condition their friend would be in once he was returned to their prison. Last time Ryo had only been queasy and they hoped that was the condition that Wildfire would be in when he came back.

The 4 teenagers waited by the gate for hours for the return on their friend. When Ryo finally came back it was in the arms of a stranger. People with guns followed behind him. They were pointed at the 4 Ronin Warriors before the gate opened. The stranger took a few steps inside and _dumped_ Ryo on the floor. The stranger went through the open gate and it shut behind him. There was a noise as it was locked again.

Sage, Rowen, Cye and Kento didn't wait. They rushed to Ryo. When they turned him over they saw that he was unconscious. Kento picked Wildfire up again. All 4 went to their bedroom. Rowen took off Ryo's blanket and Kento gently laid Ryo on his bed. Strata covered him with his blanket. Once he was tucked in bed, the other 4 sat on their own beds. They quietly talked to pass the time while they waited for Wildfire to wake up.

Many hours later, the black-haired teenager was still sleeping. Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye went to the dining room to grab their dinner. They carried it back to their bedroom to eat while they watched over Ryo. It wasn't till an hour later that Wildfire finally woke.

The first thing that Ryo did was whimper with his eyes still closed. He rolled onto his side and grabbed his stomach, curling around it as if to relieve some sort of pain.

Rowen carefully sat by Ryo's curled-up legs.

"How are you feeling, Ryo?" Rowen asked.

Ryo, without even opening his eyes, said "I hurt _everywhere_."

Strata looked to Sage. The blonde nodded and left the bedroom. He went to the gate. "I need some pain relievers," he said loudly.

Halo waited impatiently for someone to give him wanted he wanted. He had heard footsteps walking away so he knew that whoever was around the corner was getting what he had asked for. A small bottle was handed through the bars of the gate. Sage grabbed it. Normally, he would have thanked the man who gave it to him but at this time he didn't.

He grabbed some water and went back to their bedroom. He went to Wildfire.

"I got you something to help," the blonde told him.

Ryo carefully shook his head. "Not right now, Sage," he whispered. "I feel sick."

Rowen went for the second option. He stood and backed a few paces away from the bed. "Why don't you carry Ryo to the dining room, Kento? I want see if fire can help him."

Hardrock picked up the black-haired teenager. Wildfire whimpered in his arms again as if it had hurt being picked up.

"Sorry," Kento muttered as he walked.

When all 5 of them reached the fireplace in the dining room, Ryo told his friends that he wanted to lie on the floor beside the fire. When the teenager was put on the ground, he moved back into the position he had taken on his bed. Cye started the fire, and he and the others sat at the table to watch over their friend.

They quickly noticed that something was wrong. Ryo wasn't uncurling even though he was near the fire. As they continued to watch, dismay filled them. No matter how long Ryo lay by the fire, the teenager didn't seem to be getting any better. _Why isn't the fire working?_ They thought. _Fire_ always _works_.

None of them knew what to do.

…

Ryo was still recovering from the last time when the Sorceress came back a few days later. The teenager was taken to what he now knew was the woman's lab.

Cye, Sage, Rowen and Kento waited by the prison gate like last time. They just waited there without saying a single word. They couldn't bring themselves to talk while they worried about what condition Ryo would be in this time when he came back.

When Ryo was finally taken back, the other Ronin Warriors saw that his arms were bloody.

 _What happened?_ Sage silently asked.

Ryo walked back through the gate and it was shut behind him. Cye and the others went to the black-haired teenager.

"What did she do this time?" Rowen asked.

In answer, Ryo only showed them his bloody arms. Multiple cuts were under the fresh blood.

 _Ouch_ , thought Kento as he tried not to wince. _That has got to hurt a lot_.

"I'm also a little lightheaded," Ryo said.

Kento went to him. He picked up his friend with the black-haired teenager protesting that he could walk.

"Not if you're going to faint any second," Kento replied.

"Let's try the fire idea again," Rowen suggested.

Strata led everyone to the dining room. Ryo was once again sat in front of the fireplace. Sage started the fire and everyone but Ryo settled in the chairs. Under the blood on Ryo's arms Sage, Cye, Kento and Rowen saw that the cuts weren't healing. It was if the fire couldn't help the black-haired teenager. They began to wonder if whatever the Sorceress was using on Ryo was interfering with the fire's ability to heal him.

It wasn't long before Ryo fell asleep.

"How about one of us stays here to watch over him," Sage suggested.

Rowen nodded. "Sounds like a good plan," he said.

Strata, Hardrock and Torrent left the room. The blue-haired teenager came back with Ryo's blanket. He covered the sleeping teenager, careful of Wildfire's injured arms.

"I'll be back later to take over," Rowen promised before he left the room.

…

Later that day, Mason went to the Sorceress' rooms. He knocked on the door and waited impatiently for her to tell him to come in. When she finally did, he went inside and closed the door. He went to one of the seats in the room and sat down.

"I'm going to make another offer," Mason told her, "Will you let Ryo completely heal before I do so?"

Mason thought he saw the Sorceress frown for a second before she nodded. "Very well," she replied. "But I would like to continue after they have finished fighting. I have yet to get control of the Inferno."

"Very well," the mercenary told her, "you can continue once they return. But will you promise me that you will not make it where I cannot use him anymore? I would like to continue using him for the offers with the other 4 Ronin Warriors."

They both knew what Mason was really wanting. The mercenary wanted Ryo to fight in the Inferno with the other 4 teenagers fighting alongside him. Since Ryo had never told the Sorceress that the other 4 armors lose their power when the Inferno is created, neither knew that they could not use them if the Sorceress could force Ryo to fight in the Inferno.

Mason left the room after the Sorceress had promised to do as he had wished.

The Sorceress went back to thinking about the Inferno. After the 3 times she had tried to get control of it, she still could not control it. It was frustrating her. This was the first time the control of something wasn't in her grasp.

…

Ryo found himself in front of the fireplace where he had been placed after returning to his prison. His arms protested when he used them to sit up. His eyes went to the fireplace to see that there was no fire going in it. His eyes went around the room. He saw Rowen sitting at the table alone.

"Rowen, why am I laying here when there is no fire going?" Ryo asked.

Rowen didn't answer right away. He wasn't sure how to answer that question. Strata didn't know if he should tell his still-injured friend that they had taken him there after he had been returned to their prison to see if the fire would heal him. The blue-haired teenager knew that if Wildfire was told that, there would be questions to answer.

"Rowen, why am I laying here when there is no fire going?" Ryo asked again.

Rowen caved in. "We brought you here after you came back," he answered, "we thought that it would heal your arms but for the first time it hadn't done anything."

"How is that possible?" Wildfire asked.

"Whatever the Sorceress is doing to you is making it impossible for the fire to heal you."

The black-haired teenager went to his feet. He picked up the blanket, careful to not get any of the dried blood on his arms on it, and took it back to his bed. Once that was done, the teenager went to the terrace. He sat in one of the chairs and looked for his friends. He saw that Cye was swimming and Kento was in his favorite spot. It was only Sage that he couldn't find outside. When the blonde finally came out, he was alone. Halo sat in a chair by the same table that Ryo was sitting beside. The two didn't say anything as they sat there.

Rowen came out a few minutes later juggling a bowl of water, a washcloth, a glass of water and the bottle of painkillers from last time. He sat everything on the table that Ryo was sitting at. Strata pulled up a chair next to his friend and sat down. He gave Wildfire some painkillers and the glass of water. Ryo swallowed them and handed the empty glass back. Rowen set it beside the bowl of water.

"Ryo, let me see your left arm," Rowen told him.

Ryo obediently held his arm out for his friend. The blue-haired teenager gently took it at the wrist where there was hardly any dried blood. He took the washcloth and began to get off the blood on his friend's arm.

Ryo hissed in pain.

"Sorry," Rowen whispered as he tried to be as gentle as possible.

"Its fine," Ryo told him as he tried to not move his arm. It _hurt_ having the blood washed off. He wanted to take his arm out of Strata's grasp to stop the pain from becoming worse. It felt as if an hour had passed before his arm was free of the blood when in reality it took only a few minutes.

Rowen let go of Ryo's left arm. He rinsed the washcloth in the slightly red water and held out his hand for Wildfire's right one. The black-haired teenager looked at the hand. He didn't want to give him is other arm.

"Ryo," Rowen said.

The black-haired teenager silently gave Strata his right arm. The blue-haired teenager saw that some of his friend's blood was caked on his bracelet. _This isn't going to be easy,_ he thought as he inspected it.

"Sage, can you get me another washcloth?" Rowen asked.

The blonde nodded and went inside the mansion. He returned soon after with a clean washcloth like Strata had asked. He handed it to the blue-haired teenager and sat back down. Rowen put the new washcloth in the water and rung it out. He cleaned the bracelet to get all of the caked blood off it. When that was finished, Rowen started cleaning the actual arm. Again, Ryo hissed in pain. Like last time, there was a small fire that was left after Rowen washed the blood off.

Strata eventually let go of Ryo's arm. The black-haired teenager carefully laid his arm on his lap like the other. Rowen took the bowl of red water and washcloths back inside. He came back out with a first-aid kit in his hands. He sat it where the bowl had been and opened it up. He gently wrapped his friend's arms in bandages. Once he was done, he closed the box.

"Was she able to succeed, Ryo?" Rowen asked.

Ryo shook his head. "No," he replied, "it won't let her because its soul isn't inside me."

Sage looked at Wildfire. "How do you know that she can't control it because its soul isn't inside you?"

"I heard her mention that she was looking for the Inferno's soul," Ryo told him.

"Will she continue to experiment since I'm sure she doesn't know that you don't house the Inferno's soul?"

"I don't think she's realized yet that the Inferno's soul isn't inside me."

"Should you tell her?" Rowen asked Ryo.

"I don't want to," the black-haired teenager admitted. "I don't want her to go after White Blaze since he's the one that the Inferno's soul is inside of. I know that if she does, she'll try to find him. I don't want to chance the possibility of her finding him."

"Is it because White Blaze is your friend or is it purely because you're afraid that the Sorceress will be able to get control of the Inferno?" Sage asked Ryo.

"I don't want him to get hurt," Wildfire explained. "I'd rather be the one she keeps experimenting on even though the Inferno's soul isn't inside me."

"I don't like the idea, Ryo," Rowen told Wildfire. "I don't want you to keep being hurt from it."

"Please, Rowen," Ryo about begged, "please don't tell her _or_ Mason. I don't want _any_ of you to tell them."

Rowen and Sage agreed to do as their friend asked. Each of them went to Kento and Cye to tell them Ryo's request.

Fortunately for Ryo, the Sorceress never did watch their conversation.

…

Time went by as Ryo healed. Mason and the Sorceress didn't know that the Ronin Warriors' healing ability was many times faster than everyone else. They gave Wildfire the amount of time that a normal person would take to heal from Ryo's wounds. By the time Mason went back to the hotel, the black-haired teenager had been completely healed for a while.

Ryo was happy that the Sorceress was leaving him alone but it didn't bode well in Sage and Rowen's opinion. All 5 of them hoped that she had given up but something told them that this wouldn't last forever.

…

Mason went back to the hotel where the black market he was a part of was at. He walked inside the room and sat down.

"Are back to make another offer?" The leader of the group asked.

Mason nodded. "Whoever pays me the most will get my offer," he reminded everyone.

"Is there anyone who will take that offer?" The leader asked.

"My offer still stands," the woman in the rich clothes reminded the mercenary.

"I remember your offer," Mason told her.

She smiled.

The leader opened the bidding. Mason watched as the amount of money he would be paid this time became larger than all of the times before.

 _I'll make a killing off of them_ , Mason realized. His greed reared its head as he decided that the Ronin Warriors would always be _his_. He wasn't ever going to let those teenagers leave him.

Once the bid was over and the offer finalized, Mason left the room. He had become uninterested in what the others would offer by now. After all, the money which he would be paid always mattered the most to him.

He returned back to his estate and went straight to the Sorceress' rooms. She had told him before he had left that she would be waiting for him there. When he reached the door, he knocked on it. He was tempted to just _walk_ inside without asking. It was her supernatural powers that stopped him. He didn't know what she would do if he did so.

He let himself inside when she invited him in. He found her sitting in her usual spot. He sat near her.

"Did you get paid for another offer?" She mildly asked.

Mason smiled. "They're fighting an army of at least 25 people this time," he answered.

"How much money were you able to get for it?"

"A lot more than any of the times before," he replied. "My plan for them is finally working."

"Keep in mind people will get curious, Mason," she warned him. "Once people become curious, it will be harder to keep the Ronin Warriors a secret."

Mason brushed off her warning. "We've made sure that no one knows about the Ronin Warriors' existence. It'll be fine."

Mason left after that. The Sorceress remained in her rooms as Mason returned to his. He opened his bank account and waited for the money to appear. Like all of the times before, the payment didn't come until the next day.

Mason went to find the Sorceress before breakfast. When he found her he simply told her that he had just been paid. The Sorceress told him that she would take the teenagers to the location of the next fight after breakfast. After all, she had reminded him, people fight better on a full stomach.

…

Kento had just finished eating when the Sorceress came into the dining room. Ryo tensed as he looked at his empty plate. He _knew_ what was going to happen – all of them did. This was the fourth time she had come since she had taken out only Ryo. When she stopped at the end of the table, they were surprised after she spoke.

"It's time to leave," she told them. "I'm taking all of you to your next fight."

Ryo didn't know whether to be terrified or relieved that she wasn't going to hurt him again. It wouldn't have been so bad if she wasn't taking them to the next fight. Unlike all of the times before, this time seemed worse since all of his friends were with him. He had hoped that they wouldn't be involved in it as well. _Isn't this what they're here for though?_

The 5 teenagers felt themselves standing. They were walking before they knew it. They followed the Sorceress out of their prison. When they left the mansion, Ryo saw a full-sized van waiting for them. Since they had all 5 Ronins, Ryo knew that the minivan that they had been using before wouldn't work. There were a lot more guards this time than when it had just been Ryo.

As the Ronin Warriors got into the van they couldn't help but notice that a lot of the guns seemed to be pointed at Ryo. When they were settled with Sage beside Ryo and Cye beside Rowen, the guards piled into the van. The 5 teenagers felt themselves freeze. Ryo knew what was happening but the other 4 didn't. All they knew was that they couldn't move.

As they drove to their destination, Sage _felt_ the fear coming from his black-haired friend. _Is he scared?_ He wondered. He couldn't do anything to help his friend as the van went to their destination.

When the group arrived at an empty, grassy area everyone got out of the van. The Sorceress stopped the Ronin Warriors from moving once they were out. She went to Ryo first. She spoke the first half of the same words like the times before and all 5 of the Sealing Marks unlocked. Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen now understood exactly what was about to happen.

The Sorceress went to Ryo first. 2 of her fingers touched his forehead and she spoke the second half. Ryo felt the need to destroy creep inside him once again. Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye saw the terror that fell onto their friend when she finished talking.

She went to each of the others in turn. As she touched each of their foreheads she said the same second half of the words that no one could understand. As the need to destroy crept up inside the other 4 Ronin Warriors, they finally understood why their friend was terrified. He had told them that before the fights that he had been forced into the Sorceress had made Ryo feel the need to destroy.

The Sorceress stood to the side. She waved in front of them and said with a smile "go on. They are waiting for you." The Sorceress didn't tell them that the woman in rich clothes had promised to tell the army to get ready to fight.

The Ronins walked farther into the grassy area. They were on high alert as they watched for any sign of the enemy. When they had reached the middle of the area, there was a call from the side. The 5 teenagers felt their hands tighten on their weapons that they didn't remember grabbing as they waited.

Ryo was the first to see their enemy. "They're coming!" He warned his friends. His swords were pointing at his sides. He counted how many were coming. _25 people_ , he thought when he had finished. _That's only 5 a piece_.

The 5 Ronin Warriors waited for their enemy to come to them. When they reached the teenagers, the fighting began. Some had guns while the others had swords. Ryo wondered if word was going around that guns were useless against him.

2 people went after Ryo. Wildfire's swords each went to cut off the hands of those fighting against him. He was able to force his swords far enough to avoid their wrists. Instead, the blades cut into their arms. One of them dropped their gun in surprise. The other's fingers tightened around hers. She threw her gun to her other hand. She fired 2 shots right after each other. Both hit Ryo's chest. There was a noise as the bullets impacted against the armor and then fell. The black-haired teenager's sword left her arm and went for her gun. The weapon flew out of her hands. Ryo's right sword cut her other arm. She howled at the pain. Ryo ignored it for favor of incapacitating his other opponent. This time wasn't so easy. The gun was aimed at Wildfire's forehead and Ryo dropped below the on-coming bullet. His left sword went for the man's leg. His right sword went for his hand. There was a thud when his blade went through the side of the hand and out the other. The gun lay on the ground between them. Ryo's left sword left the man's leg. His right one went straight through the man's other hand.

"Sorry!" Ryo apologize as he stood straight.

"Go to hell," the man only said.

 _Already am_ , Ryo thought.

Sage's sword went for the woman's side. There was a howl of pain as it dug into it. The blonde pulled it out. The woman crumpled to the floor as she held it. Sage's sword went through her leg next. He went for his third once he had incapacitated her. He jumped over her and ran the short distance. The man was surprised that Halo could run so quick. It was as if 2 seconds after he had finished fighting his companion that the teenager was in front of him. The blonde's sword went for the man's side like all the times before. Sage knew that if he could cut deep enough into the man's side, the enemy wouldn't have the ability to fight anymore.

"Please," Sage almost begged, "tell your friends to get out of here." He had done the same with the first 2.

The man grabbed onto Sage's sword. His gun went to the blonde's chest. "Die," he gasped. He pulled the trigger and the bullet hit Halo's chest. The man's hand bled when Sage forced the sword out of his grip. The man crumpled once the blade was gone. Sage left to fight his fourth.

Kento usually liked fighting; it was kind of like a stress reliever when he destroyed the Dynasty Soldiers. This time was different though. All he felt besides the need to destroy was disgust. _Ryo had to go through this three times_ , he thought. His staff blocked the sword of his fourth opponent. _This is like I'm fighting a baby_. It was a lot easier to fight these people than the Dynasty Soldiers which weren't even all that hard to destroy. His staff left a bruise of the woman's arm. There was a crunch when his staff first broke the other arm and then the left leg. Hardrock left her on the ground for his fifth opponent.

Rowen's arrow went into the woman's second shoulder. Her arm fell to her side. She dropped her gun.

"I don't want to do this," he told her.

She glared at him. "Yeah, right," she spat.

Rowen lowered his bow when he saw that she couldn't fight anymore. That was his fifth opponent. _I wonder how the others are doing_.

Ryo knew that he was fighting the leader of the army. There was a commanding air around him.

"Please," he tried again, "take your people and leave."

The man looked at him as if he was crazy. "I was ordered to come here," he told the teenager. The man felt that Wildfire was too young to be fighting. The thing that baffled him was the teenager's armor. He had never come across something as impenetrable as that.

"Tell me, boy," the man demanded, "where did you get your armor."

Ryo knew that the reason his enemy had asked him was because he wanted one like the Wildfire. _At least I know he won't find one_ , Ryo thought. The souls of the 5 armors could not be removed from the bodies of the Ronin Warriors.

"It doesn't matter," Ryo told him. "But will you take your people and leave here?"

The man's gun went for Ryo's forehead. "Why should I listen to you?" He asked the teenager.

Ryo didn't flinch. "Your people won't be able to fight anymore," he told the man. "We were sent to make you go away. If you leave, you and your men will be safe."

The man's eyes didn't leave Ryo as he ordered his people to leave the area. Ryo and his friends just watched the army of 25 people leave. Once they were out of sight, Ryo and the others went back to where the Sorceress was waiting. She locked their Sealing Marks and touched their foreheads before telling them to get back inside the van. The 5 teenagers were taken back to their prison in silence.

Ryo spent the drive back feeling relieved. Wildfire wasn't forced to kill. The best part of it was that his friends hadn't been forced to kill either. It was bad enough that they were dragged into this but that was a small mercy that had been given to them.

The Sorceress walked back to the prison with the teenagers walking behind her. Again, the guards had guns pointed at them. Ryo felt as if over half of them were pointed at _him_. He knew that most likely those who had been there when he had fought last time remembered the power that the Inferno had shown. He also would have been scared that he would attack them. After all, the Inferno had shown just how much power that Ryo had inside him. The only thing that the guards didn't know what that Ryo's actual power wasn't even close to what the Inferno gave him.

The gate shut behind them once they had walked back inside their prison. They turned to see the Sorceress walking away.

"She didn't take Ryo with her," Rowen commented.

"I'm glad she didn't," Sage said.

RME: and, my dears, now you know why the summary was written the way it was. Took me what? 9 chapters?


	10. The Mistake

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 10**

 _The Mistake_

Mia and Yuli were in one of the many libraries scattered throughout the area that they were staying at. Mia was on the computer using the only clue that Ryo had given her before all of her boys had disappeared.

It was great that she had been given another clue but there was one problem with it. There were so many 'Mason's in Los Angeles that the list she was looking through was a nice-sized one that didn't give her _any_ information.

"….I heard that rumor, too," a young voice whispered.

"I heard it as well," a girl's voice said.

"But still," an older voice said, "a small army against one that's _5 times_ the size of them? That's _impossible_."

"It's true!" A second girl protested. "My daddy works near there."

"But, Kathy, that's not realistic," the older voice said, "a small group can't fight 25 people."

Now Mia was interested. That older one might not believe it but she _knew_ that her boys could do it. They had proven it over and over a couple of years ago. It would have been easy for them to win a fight against 25 regular people. _It would have been easy_ , she repeated in her mind. _It can't be_ …

She stood and walked to the ones who were talking about that rumor. She tried to not sound to interested or hopeful when she said "excuse me. I happened to over hear your conversation. I found what you were talking about quite fascinating. Can you tell me about it?"

The oldest of the 4 looked Mia up and down. The young woman guessed that he couldn't be more than 14.

"There isn't much," he replied. "Kathy knows the most about it. Why don't you ask her?"

Mia sat across from the 4. She heard Yuli move from where they had been to sitting beside her.

"My daddy said that there's a rumor of a man who has a small army," Kathy began. "I don't know how big that army is but daddy has heard rumors about them."

"Is there anything else that you know?" Mia asked.

Kathy shook her head. "Daddy only knows that much," she replied.

"Where can I find your father?" the young woman asked.

"He left this morning. He said that his work wanted him to go to Chicago," the girl answered.

Mia's heart fell. Her only clue had been cut off before she could get much from it. _At least I may have found another clue_.

The brunette woman stood. She thanked the 4 and led Yuli out of the library.

"Mia, I don't want Ryo to fight other people," Yuli told her as they walked down the street. The young woman knew what he was really thinking. She knew that he must be unhappy knowing that Ryo might be fighting regular people.

"We don't even know if they really are Ryo and the others, Yuli," she reminded the boy.

They walked through the streets asking if anyone had heard about the rumor about a man's small army. It seemed as if almost no one beside those 4 who Mia had talked to knew the rumor.

…

Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye woke when Ryo started screaming. They quickly went to their friend. When they tried to wake up Wildfire, the black-haired teenager's eyes shot open. They had the impression that whatever he saw in his dream hadn't gone away.

"Ryo, it's okay," Rowen told him.

Wildfire lunged for Strata. At first everyone thought he wanted comfort until he did something unexpected.

Ryo's fists went for Rowen's face. The blue-haired teenager quickly leaned to the side to avoid the punches. He grabbed Wildfire's arms to stop him but the black-haired teenager struggled in his grip. He jumped at Rowen and both fell to the ground. Ryo freed his left arm and punched Strata's face. Rowen rolled over and pinned his friend between himself and the floor.

"Ryo, stop it!" Rowen commanded. With his eyesight he saw that Ryo's eyes were starting to focus. "Come on, buddy," Strata encouraged.

"Rowen?" Ryo asked hoarsely asked.

Rowen nodded. He carefully let his friend go. Wildfire lay on the ground staring at the blue-haired teenager.

"Why am I on the ground?" Ryo asked.

"You were having a nightmare," Sage answered.

Ryo looked at the blonde. "Oh…."

"You okay, man?" Kento asked.

"Yeah," Ryo answered.

Rowen got off his friend and the black-haired teenager sat up. He looked at his friends and saw the worry in their eyes.

"What is it, guys?" he asked them.

Sage was the first to speak. "What were you dreaming about?"

Ryo's face twisted into a pained look. "The Sorceress was trying to force the Inferno's soul out of me and into her hands."

"Ryo, you know that the Inferno's soul is safe," Rowen pointed out. "White Blaze is at home."

Wildfire nodded his head. "I know," he agreed, "but it seemed real. It was like I was actually feeling the pain from it."

Kento winced. _That has got to be horrible_ , he thought.

"I'm okay now," Ryo told his friends. "You can go back to sleep."

"You sure?" Cye asked.

Ryo nodded. He climbed into bed and lay down as if to show that, yes, he was fine now. The other 4 went back to their own beds. Ryo tried to fall asleep but that dream kept going through his mind.

He wished White Blaze was here. The tiger's presence always seemed to help when he had nightmares.

It took a while, but Ryo finally managed to fall asleep. When his friends were sure that he wasn't having another nightmare, they also went to sleep.

…

Ryo and the others had finished eating lunch when the Sorceress came. Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye glared at the woman but Ryo was even tenser then he had been before.

"Come, Ryo," the Sorceress commanded.

Ryo found himself following her out of his prison while his friends stayed where they were. Fear was fluttering inside him as he was led down the halls of Mason's mansion.

When the Sorceress had left, the 4 teenagers went to the prison gate like every time before. This time they waited for many hours for their friend to be brought back. They couldn't stop thinking about the condition that he would be in after he returned. They hoped that it wouldn't be worse than the last.

When Ryo came back, he was staring at the floor as if concentrating hard on something. The gate was opened and Ryo walked inside. He immediately leaned against the wall. Sage and the others saw that his arms were crossed over his stomach as if he was holding it. _What happened?_ They thought.

When the 4 of them reached Wildfire, Sage asked "are you alright, Ryo?"

Ryo shook his head. "I think I'm going to throw up," he answered.

"Come on, buddy. I think it'd be good if you lay on your bed," Kento suggested.

Ryo carefully nodded. He went straight and followed the purple-haired teenager to their bedroom. Wildfire made a beeline for his bed. He carefully sat down.

Sage went to get a bowl from the dining room in case the black-haired teenager actually threw up. He went to their bedroom and handed it to Wildfire. Ryo took the bowl to set it beside the bed. As he moved, he felt something come up. He quickly pulled the bowl close to him and threw up. He gagged a couple of times after he was finished.

"What did she do this time?" Kento asked.

Ryo made a noise in the back of his throat. "I drank so many different colored liquids that tasted disgusting. I don't even know how many she forced into me."

Kento patted Ryo's shoulder. "I feel for you," he told his friend.

Whatever Ryo was going to say was cut off when he threw up again.

Sage went to the black-haired teenager. He put his hand on his friend's forehead. Everyone could tell he was concentrating on something. _Must be the difference of Ryo's temperature_ , some thought. The blonde checked his own forehead as if to compare something. He removed his hands.

"Well, he doesn't have a fever," Halo told everyone.

"That took some time," Kento joked.

"You know it's hard to tell if he's sick," he reminded Hardrock.

Ryo's friends knew that Ryo's normal body temperature was higher than normal.

Rowen took Ryo's bowl to empty it. Once he had brought it back, Ryo set it on the floor next to him and lay down. He turned onto his side and closed his eyes. The other 4 left when they saw that their friend wanted to sleep. They wanted to give him time to rest.

The 4 teenagers went to the dining room in their prison. They sat at the table and just stared at the fireplace. It was Cye who eventually broke the silence.

"How much longer will Ryo have to go through this?" The brunette asked. Everyone knew he was referring to what the Sorceress was doing to Wildfire.

"She probably won't stop until she gets what she wants," Rowen replied.

"I'm worried about what will happen if the Sorceress _does_ take control of the Inferno," Cye confessed.

"We all are, Cye," Kento reminded Torrent.

"Is there anything we can do about it?" Cye asked.

"We could always jump her the next time she comes to take Ryo away."

"But is that a wise idea?" Sage asked.

"I don't think it would hurt to try," Rowen answered for everyone.

"But will it work?" Cye asked.

"Won't know if we don't try," the purple-haired teenager pointed out.

"How about we try it the next time the Sorceress comes for him," Rowen suggested.

The other 3 nodded to show that they agreed with Strata.

…

Ryo woke up a few hours later feeling really nauseous. _Not again_ , he thought. He shot over the side of his bed and grabbed the bowl on the floor. He sat up and immediately threw up. _Ugh, that smells nasty_. The black-haired teenager fell back onto his pillow with the bowl still on his lap. He still didn't feel very good.

He sat up and put the bowl on the bed beside him. He lay back down and snuggled underneath his blanket. He rolled onto his side and held his stomach again in a vain attempt to make the nausea go away.

When Cye came to check on him a little bit later, Wildfire was still awake. His back was to the door when the brunette opened it. The black-haired teenager carefully rolled over to see who had come into the room.

"You're awake," Cye commented.

The brunette saw the bowl with the throw-up inside sitting on the bed beside Ryo's. Torrent grabbed the bowl and left the room to empty it.

When Cye brought the bowl back, Ryo asked "where's everyone?"

"We're outside like usual," the brunette answered.

Ryo knew what Cye wasn't saying. He could see the water droplets on his friend's skin.

Torrent sat the bowl back where Ryo had put it. "Get some sleep," he suggested.

Wildfire closed his eyes in answer. The brunette left the bedroom and went back outside. Instead of heading straight to the pool, he sat in a chair by Sage and Rowen.

"Ryo was awake when I checked on him," Torrent informed them. The 4 of them had been periodically checking on their friend to make sure that Ryo didn't get worse.

"Is he doing any better?" Rowen asked.

"Don't really know," Cye admitted, "he didn't say anything and I forgot to ask him."

"Next time he's awake, we'll have to ask him," Rowen told them.

It was Kento's turn to check on Ryo next. When he went back a little after Cye had left, Hardrock saw that the black-haired teenager was still awake. Wildfire hadn't been able to go back to sleep after Cye had left.

"How're you doing?" Kento asked.

"I _still_ feel lousy," Ryo answered.

The bowl was empty when Kento went to empty it.

"Think you can handle eating dinner?" the purple-haired teenager asked.

Ryo slowly shook his head. "I don't think I can stomach any food right now," he answered.

Kento patted Ryo's head as if Wildfire was a little boy. "That's fine," he told him.

Hardrock left Ryo alone. He went to the dining room where the others had just started eating.

"How is he?" Rowen asked. "Does he feel like eating dinner?"

"He said that he didn't think he could stomach food yet," Kento replied.

The rest of dinner didn't take long for them – including Kento – to eat. Sage went to check on Ryo while the others went back outside. When the blonde entered the room, he saw that Ryo was asleep again. Halo saw that the black-haired teenager had thrown up again. He grabbed the bowl and emptied it. Once he returned it back to where Ryo had placed it, he went outside. The other 3 were sitting on the terrace while Rowen bathed in the moonlight. The blonde sat beside Strata.

"Is he doing any better?" Rowen asked.

"He threw up again," Sage replied.

"I'm starting to worry if he's going to continue to throw up for a while," Rowen told the others. "It's been a long time since he came back."

"I don't know, Rowen," Sage told the blue-haired teenager.

"Do you think he'll be okay by the time the Sorceress comes back for him?" Cye asked.

"I hope so, Cye," Strata replied.

"It's really late. Why don't we go to bed?" Sage suggested,

"I don't want to go back inside yet," Rowen told the blonde.

"Well I want to sleep," Cye said as he stood.

Sage and Kento followed him inside. They went to their bedroom so that they could sleep. Rowen didn't come inside for a long time. By the time he entered the bedroom, the others were already asleep. Rowen climbed into his own bed. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

The next day, Ryo felt fine. His nausea had gone away at this point so he ate breakfast with the others. Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye were relieved when he didn't throw up after he had finished eating.

Ryo's friends stuck close to him today. They wanted to be ready to protect their friend when the Sorceress came for him. They weren't going to allow her take him away again. Ryo didn't mind having his friends with him. He felt safer with them around.

It was later that day that the Sorceress came for Wildfire. When she came close enough, Ryo's friends attacked her.

They didn't even get close when she used their Sealing Mark to force them to stop. Ryo also froze like they did when he saw her. For him, it wasn't because she had forced him to. He was scared of what she would do next to him. She had already tried 4 times to gain control over the Inferno by now.

"You shouldn't have tried to attack me," the Sorceress told Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen. "I will have to punish Ryo for it." She went to the black-haired teenager. "Remember this the next time you try to attack me: Ryo will be punished instead of you 4."

She turned and walked away from where Strata, Halo, Hardrock and Torrent were at. She forced Ryo to follow her. The woman didn't need to worry if Wildfire would try to run from her; she had complete control of him. He wouldn't be able to run even if he tried.

Once Ryo and the Sorceress were gone, the others were finally allowed to move. They could tell that all of them were scared of what the woman would do to Ryo.

"We made a mistake," Rowen told them.

Sage nodded. "And Ryo's going to pay for it," he added.

All 4 Ronin Warriors went to the gate to wait for their friend. Different ways she would punish their friend kept going through the mind. Each seemed worse than the last. They knew that she would never kill him, not when she wanted the Inferno so badly.

Then the screaming began.


	11. Ryo's Punishment

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 11**

 _Ryo's Punishment_

The 4 teenagers _panicked_.

They had never heard Ryo scream when the Sorceress had taken him before. None of them knew _why_ Ryo was screaming as if he was in so much pain. They wanted to break down the gate to rescue their friend. They _would have_ if they knew it was possible. Whatever that gate was made of, none of them could even bend it.

After waiting many hours, the 4 of them fell asleep while waiting for Ryo to come back. They didn't want to move from their positions by the gate until he was returned to their prison. It was the sound of footsteps coming towards them that finally woke them. Their heads snapped to the gate and they waited for whoever was coming. Ryo was in someone's arms when he came into sight.

The gate was opened and Wildfire was _dumped_ onto the ground right inside the gate.

"That boy had a rough night," the man who had carried Wildfire casually mentioned. He left the prison and the gate closed behind him.

Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen ran to Wildfire. The black-haired teenager never moved from his position on the ground. Rowen checked to see if Ryo was injured. He found that Ryo's sides were covered in blood and his skin was unnaturally pale.

Kento went to pick Wildfire up but Sage stopped him. "Be careful when you pick him up," he told the purple-haired teenager.

"I know, Sage," Kento told the blonde.

Hardrock gently picked up the black-haired teenager. He followed the others to their bedroom. Rowen stopped him before he could put the unconscious Ryo on his bed.

"We need to cover his bed before you lay him on it," he told Kento.

Hardrock waited with his arms carefully holding Ryo as Rowen went to the bathroom. The blue-haired teenager came back with a large towel which he put on Ryo's bed.

"Lay him so that his sides are on the towel," Rowen instructed.

Kento carefully lowered his friend down. Rowen helped guide him so that Ryo's sides were on the towel. When Ryo was on his bed, Hardrock carefully took his arms out from under him. The black-haired teenager made a pained noise as Kento moved his arms.

"Sorry, buddy," Kento softly apologized.

Cye brought in a bowl of water and a couple of dishrags. Rowen went to ask the guard at the gate for a _lot_ of rolls of bandages. Sage got a pair of scissors to cut off Ryo's shirt so they could take care of his sides. Rowen returned with what he had asked for. He set them on the bed beside Ryo's own and looked at Sage.

"Ready?" He asked the blonde.

Halo nodded.

The 2 went to their injured friend with Sage still holding the scissors. The blonde cut Ryo's shirt and helped Strata gently remove the pieces. Rowen grabbed a dishrag and got it wet. He sat by Ryo's left side. He began to wipe the blood off as gently as he could. Ryo made a pained noise and tried to move away from the source of it.

"Hey, hey, don't move," Rowen told the black-haired teenager. When Ryo kept trying to get away from the dishrag, Rowen paused to look at Sage. "Can you hold him still?"

Sage went to Ryo. "I don't know how much help I can be," he said as he placed his hands above the cuts on Ryo's sides.

Rowen returned to washing off the blood as Sage kept Ryo still. Wildfire kept making pained noises every time the dishrag touched his wound. When his left side was clear of blood, Rowen and Sage switched places. Sage held Ryo still as Rowen wiped the blood off the black-haired teenager's other side. This time the noises that Wildfire made were a little louder.

"I think this one is worse than the other," Rowen commented as he continued to wipe the blood off.

"You may be right," Sage agreed.

When Rowen was finished, all of them noticed that the wounds weren't shallow but they also weren't very deep.

Rowen took a roll of bandage. "Will you help me?" He asked Sage.

The blonde went to Ryo's opposite side. Between the 2 of them with Kento propping Ryo up, they wrapped the bandage around Ryo's chest. Hardrock laid his friend back down once they were done. When they were finished, they continued to stand over their injured friend.

"I know that the Sorceress won't kill Ryo but isn't this _too_ much?" Kento asked.

"Kento's right," Sage said, "she's gone too far this time."

Rowen and Cye wholeheartedly agreed with them.

"What do we do now?" Cye asked.

"All we can do right now is help Ryo when he wakes up," Sage answered.

Rowen nodded. They sat on their beds and quietly talked while their injured friend slept.

Ryo never moved for several hours. When he did all he did was groan and barely open his eyes. Sage was the first to get to him.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked.

Ryo only shook his head 'no'. He was in a lot of pain right now.

"Here," Rowen said as he held out some pain killers and a glass of water. "This will help."

Ryo sat to take the things that his friend was holding. He took the pills and then gave back the empty glass of water. He didn't lie back down once his hands were empty.

"What did the Sorceress do to cause you to scream like that?" Cye asked.

Ryo shuddered at the memory. "It felt as if she was trying to pull something from my side. When she couldn't get what she wanted, she went to my other."

"It may have been the Inferno's soul that she was trying to pull out," Rowen explained.

"But it _can't_ be taken out even if it was inside Ryo," Kento reminded him, "none of the souls of our armors – including the Wildfire's – can be taken out of us, remember?"

"Most likely she doesn't _know_ ," Rowen told the purple-haired teenager.

Ryo's jaw almost popped from the yawn that came. He rubbed his eyes; he was tired from not being able to sleep most of last night.

Rowen saw that Ryo was tired. "Get some sleep," he told Wildfire.

The black-haired teenager didn't give a response. He just lay back down and closed his eyes. He was asleep before any of his friends could say anything. Instead, the 4 of them left their bedroom with the promise to check on Ryo often between them.

They sat on the terrace. They didn't say anything as they sat together; they knew what everyone was thinking. They wanted to take Ryo away from here. They didn't want him to keep going through whatever the Sorceress did to get control of the Inferno. They looked at the walls surrounding their fancy-prison.

"It'd be so easy to escape with Ryo if we could just _jump_ over those walls," Kento told the others.

"Except, both Mason and the Sorceress have effectively cut off that escape route thanks to those pieces of paper on the walls," Rowen reminded him.

"I wish we could leave," Cye told him. "I don't want to be forced to fight again. It was horrible fighting against ordinary people."

"But Ryo's done that 4 times now," Rowen reminded the brunette.

"It must have been hard for him."

"Yeah, Cye, he even killed during one of them," Kento pointed out.

…

Ryo woke up late that night. His stomach was protesting about not being fed for over 24 hours.

Ryo's sides protested when he went to stand. He lay on his bed trying to find a way to get food without waking the others. As he came up with different ways, he had to discard them because of his injuries. When he thought about it, it all came down to this: ask for help.

He looked to his side and saw in the moonlight that Rowen was sleeping next to him.

"Rowen," Ryo whispered. When he didn't get a response from Strata, he tried a little louder.

Rowen's eyes opened. He saw that Wildfire was awake and looking at him. He knew because he could see his friend's face as clearly as if the bedroom light was on.

"What is it, Ryo?" Rowen asked.

"I'm starving," Ryo answered. "Is there anything I can eat?"

"Hold on. I'll get you something."

The blue-haired teenager left the bedroom. He went to the prison gate.

"Is anyone here?" Strata loudly asked.

"What is it?" Came from around the corner.

"Can I have some food?"

"Why do you want it?" The person guarding the prison asked. "Breakfast will come in several hours."

"One of my friends hasn't eaten for over 24 hours. I'd like some food for him to eat."

"I'll bring some," the person said.

Rowen was given some food a few minutes later. He thanked the person and went back to Ryo. The black-haired teenager took the food. When he was done eating, he handed the empty plate back to his friend. With his stomach satisfied, he laid back down. He was asleep before Rowen could say anything. Once Rowen put the plate on the table in the dining room, he also went back to sleep.

Sage, Rowen, Kento and Cye didn't let Ryo get out of bed in the morning. Instead of eating at the table, Ryo's food was brought to him. After he ate, Wildfire went back to sleep.

At first, the other 4 teenagers were worried that the Sorceress would come that day to take Ryo away again. They spent the morning hoping that she wouldn't come to their prison until Ryo healed. They began to relax over time as the day went on. They weren't expecting a big, beefy man to come with the Sorceress after lunch.

Ryo's friends were in their bedroom talking with Ryo when the 2 came inside. At first Kento went to protect Ryo. But the memory of Ryo's sides covered in blood stopped him from moving far. _If we do anything, she'll hurt Ryo like that again_ , the purple-haired teenager reminded himself. He could tell that Sage, Cye and Rowen were also thinking the same thing.

The Sorceress's slim finger pointed at Wildfire. "He is the one I want," she told the man.

The man nodded. He didn't bother to be gentle when he roughly picked the teenager up. Ryo couldn't stop the cry of pain that escaped him from the movement.

Once the man was holding Ryo, he and the woman left the room. The other 4 Ronin Warriors counted to 30 before racing out of the room and to the prison's gate again.

"You know," Kento commented, "we've made a habit of always waiting by the gate like this when the Sorceress has Ryo."

"Isn't it because we want to be here when Ryo comes back?" Cye asked.

"Ryo's always been injured or sick each time he's brought back," Sage reminded Hardrock.

They were silent after that. Their eyes didn't move from the spot where Ryo would come into view. When Wildfire came back a few hours later, he was _walking_ while cradling his left arm. The other 4 teenagers weren't happy that their friend wasn't being carried back when his sides were only starting to heal.

When the gate shut behind Ryo, they went to the black-haired teenager.

"Can I see your arm?" Rowen asked.

Ryo slowly let go of it and held it out. Everyone could see that the many marks that went up and down his arm in 2 columns were inflamed. They could tell that the needle that she had used on Ryo wasn't all that small because the holes were quite a bit bigger than they normally were.

"What did she try this time?" Sage asked.

"I don't really know. She used thick needles with some sort of liquid inside," Wildfire admitted, "all of those shots _burned_."

Instead of going back to bed, the black-haired teenager went to the fire pit outside. He slowly sat on the ground. "Can one of you light the fire?" He asked.

"You should get some sleep, Ryo," Sage told him.

"But I miss the fire," Ryo protested.

Rowen easily caved in. He understood the importance that fire held for his friend. Strata lit the fire. Kento lay on the grass near his injured friend. Sage and Rowen went to sit on the terrace. Cye disappeared into the mansion. He returned in his swimming trunks and dived into the pool.

…

The Sorceress went to Mason. When she found him in the library reading a book, she sat on the couch beside him.

"Everything I have tried so far to gain control of the Inferno has ended in failure," she told the mercenary.

Mason put his finger in the book to hold his place and closed it. He turned towards the woman beside him.

"How can you fail when you were able to gain control of the other 5 armors so easily?" Mason asked.

"There is something different about that white armor," she explained, "whatever it is it's making it impossible to gain control over it."

"What is interfering with your attempts?"

"I do not know," she admitted.

"I am not paying you that vast amount of money for you to not to be able to do something," Mason reminded her.

"I am trying different ways to get what we want. I recently even tried to pull the Inferno out of the boy to cast an enchantment over it to give me full control," she told the mercenary.

"How did that go?"

"I could not find the place where it resides inside him."

"Keep trying to get control of it or I will stop paying you for your help in this project."

"Remember Mason, _I_ am the one who made the Ronin Warriors into your own personal army."

The woman left the library. She went to her rooms and sat in one of the chairs. She needed to rethink her methods for getting what _she_ wanted. She didn't care what Mason's desire was. What was important was the control she had over the Ronin Warriors. After all, she _loved_ controlling people. Mason was the only one she left alone as he was paying for her help.

 _But_ how _can I get the control of the Inferno that I want?_

The possibility of the Inferno's soul not being inside Ryo still hadn't crossed her mind. After all, even the Wildfire was inside its bearer. To her, it was impossible for the soul of a mystical armor to not be inside its bearer.

And so she sat there for a long time just thinking.

…

Mason went to the Ronins in their prison. When he found them sitting in their room, he started talking.

"My party guests will be coming tonight," he told the 5 teenagers.

This time he didn't even wait for them to say something. This was Mason's fourth party since Ryo had been captured. He knew that at least Wildfire knew what to do. After all, they had behaved themselves each time his guests came. His favorite place to have a party was his own estate so he was satisfied with it.

Ryo and his friends didn't move from where they had been when Mason came. They knew the 'procedure' by now. Ryo had explained it to them after they had been captured. Besides, they trusted Wildfire, if he said that it was impossible then they believed it.

And so, Ryo slept through the party while the others stayed awake in their bedroom.

…

The day after Mason's party, the mercenary went to the Sorceress. When he found her in her lab, he leaned against the wall.

"I want you to let Ryo heal," he told the woman. "I want to make another offer."

The woman looked to see him standing beside the door.

"Very well," she said. "Then I will let the boy heal. But after they are done, I am going to continue trying to find a way to control the Inferno."

"I don't care what you do as long as he is completely healed the next time I want to make an offer."

Mason left the Sorceress' lab.

…

The Sorceress stopped coming for Ryo after the party. The 5 teenagers would have been happy if the worry of what was about to happen wasn't there. They remembered very well what happened the last time the woman had stopped coming for Ryo.

Ryo's sides quickly healed. There were scars from the wounds but they would be easy to hide. Ryo's left arm, however, wasn't so lucky. The needle marks left semi-little darkish, slightly indented circles in 2 columns on the black-haired teenager's arm.

"That just looks weird," Kento said when he saw Ryo's scared arm.

"Why are the scars like that though?" Sage asked.

Ryo's fingers went around one of the circles. "I don't know," he answered.

"The Sorceress is using unknown liquids according to Ryo," Rowen reminded everyone, "the scars might be a side effect from them."

"Well, they sure look nasty," Kento pointed out.

"Thanks a lot, Kento," Ryo sarcastically told Hardrock.

"But what are you going to do about those scars?" Sage asked.

"Right now? There's not much I _can_ do about them."

"But if we get out of here?" Rowen asked.

Ryo sighed. "I'll have to cover them up if that happens."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Ryo," Cye told the black-haired teenager. "We'll get out of here eventually."

"Cye, I've been here a long time. Don't you think I would have escaped by now if it was possible?"

The purple-haired teenager patted Wildfire's back. "Don't think like that, Ryo! Remember, Mia's still out there. She'll find a way."

"But will she find us before whatever is about to happen happens?" Cye asked.

"Are you talking about being forced to fight again?" Rowen asked.

The brunette nodded. "That's what happened last time," he reminded them.

"What about after that?" Kento asked. "If Mia doesn't rescue us before then, Ryo will have to be put through what the Sorceress' been doing to him again."

Ryo couldn't suppress the shudder that went through him when Hardrock said that. Sage saw Wildfire's reaction. He glared at the purple-haired teenager. "Don't remind him, Kento," the blonde told him.

"But still, Kento's got a point, Sage," Rowen pointed out. "Every one of us knows that she won't give up until she gets what she wants."

Wildfire's left hand went to his right side. "I remember," he whispered.

Cye patted the black-haired teenager's hand. "Don't worry. We'll get out of here some day."

"Thanks, Cye," Ryo said.

Kento perked up. "I smell food!" Hardrock about shouted. He ran out of their bedroom where they had been talking.

Ryo, Sage, Rowen and Cye laughed.

"Some things never change," Ryo told them.

Rowen got off his bed. "We should get there before Kento eats _everything_."

Ryo and the others followed Rowen out of the room. The blue-haired teenager had a point: if they didn't hurry Kento _would_ eat everything. It was like he had a bottomless stomach.

…

"Cross off Mason Kirk, Yuli," Mia told the boy sitting next to her. "He's only 5."

Yuli's pencil made a line through another name on the page of a notebook. Many of those names were already crossed off.

Mia closed the program.

"It's impossible to know which 'Mason' Ryo was talking about," she told the boy, "there's nothing we can really do to find out which of them has the Ronins."

"What are we going to do then, Mia?" Yuli asked.

Mia sighed. "I don't know, Yuli."

The young woman leaned back in her chair. She was running out of ideas. She knew about the rumored man's army but hadn't found anything more about it. _Do the newspapers even know about them?_

"Yuli, I have an idea," Mia said. She scooted her chair back and walked to the newspaper racks nearby. She grabbed the latest and began reading.

"Mia, what are you doing?" Yuli asked from beside her.

"I'm looking to see if any of the newspapers have heard of the rumored man's army."

"Oh."

Yuli sat in a chair nearby as he waited for Mia to finish. She started with the latest then went backwards until the date that Cye had been kidnapped. When she put the one in her hands back, anyone could see the disappointment written on her face. She went to Yuli.

"There's nothing," she told the boy.

"What are we going to do then?" Yuli asked.

"We'll have to return to asking people."

"Can I help?"

Mia shook her head. "I want you to stay with me."

"But, Mia-" Yuli protested.

"No 'but's Yuli," she firmly told the boy.

"Okay…."

Mia and Yuli left the library.

"How are we going to do this?" Yuli asked as they walked down the steps.

"We'll have to ask people about that man," she replied.

She walked to a man and asked if he knew about the rumor of the man and his army. When he told her he didn't know, she moved on to the next person. She kept doing this until finally someone had the answer she was looking for.

"Yes, I've heard of the rumor," a woman said.

"Can you tell me anything about it?" Mia asked.

"Hmmm, let me see…I heard that the army of that man isn't very big."

"Do you know the number of people in it?"

"I've heard that it's 5 people."

 _That_ must _be them_ , she thought.

"Is there anything else?" Mia asked.

The woman was silent as she thought. "I've also heard that those 5 are unnaturally strong."

"Can you tell me anything more?"

The woman shook her head. "That's all I know," she replied.

Mia thanked the woman. The brunette woman went to the next person. For a long time she found no one who had heard the rumor. It wasn't till almost dinnertime that she got another clue.

"Yeah, I know something about that rumor," a young man said.

"Can you tell me what you know?" Mia asked. She felt hope swell inside her. This was the most information she had gotten in a while.

"I've heard that that man offers to fight a fight for anyone who pays him enough," he told her.

Mia's interest was hooked. She had never heard of the rumored man being a mercenary. _But if he's a mercenary, why does he need the Ronins?_

"Is there anything else you know?"

The young man shook his head. "Still, it's disgusting that he'd have his army fight if he's paid enough. That just isn't right."

 _I agree_ , Mia thought.

The young woman and boy went to get something to eat. When they had finished they returned to their single hotel room.

"Do you think that man's army is the Ronin Warriors?" Yuli asked.

"You might be right," she answered. "The woman said that there were 5 people who were unnaturally strong. There are only 5 Ronins and, with their armor, they would _definitely_ be unnaturally strong."

"But that young man said that the man will fight if he's paid enough. The Ronins would _never_ do something like that."

"I don't know, Yuli. For all we know they are being forced to fight."

"How can someone force them to fight?"

"I wish I knew," Mia told the boy.

…

Ryo was given time to heal again before Mason made his next offer.

Mason entered the room where the black market was located. He sat in his chair and waited for the meeting to start.

"Congratulations," the woman in the rich clothes said. "You were able to complete our deal."

Mason bowed slightly in his chair. "Thank you, ma'am," he told her.

"We've heard of your overwhelming successes," the leader of the group commented.

"I only try to keep my end of the deal," Mason corrected him.

"But it's still amazing that you were able to complete our deal," the woman in rich clothes said, "I thought that you wouldn't be able to."

"How did you get so good all of the sudden?" One of the men asked.

"That's a secret. After all, the best don't ever give away their secrets," Mason replied with a smile.

The leader shook his head as if to say _I'll never understand you_.

"Do you have another offer?" The leader asked.

Mason nodded. "Like before, whoever pays the most will get my offer."

The leader opened the bid. Mason watched with satisfaction as the amount quickly skyrocketed. It went way beyond the previous ones this time. When the bid was finally closed, Mason and one of the men went to the other side of the room.

"What is this fight that you'd like me to do?" Mason asked his employer

"There's a mob nearby. I want them gone. It doesn't matter how you do it as long as it's done."

"Very well," Mason finished, "once you pay to the usual bank account, I will take care of it."

Mason left the room after they finished discussing the job. Because of the type of business he 'ran', he saw no point in buying things like expensive jewelry. He was a _mercenary_ , not a woman who loved expensive jewelry.

When Mason returned to his mansion, he found the Sorceress waiting for him in the entryway. Mason went to her and escorted her to the living room. When they sat in chairs, Mason was the first to speak.

"I've gotten another offer," he told the woman. "This time the amount is at least double of what I was paid last time."

"Oh?" The woman tucked a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear. "What are they going to do this time?"

Mason smiled at the memory. "I've been paid to fight a mob. This time it doesn't matter if those people are killed or not."

"That's an interesting job," she remarked. "I've never been given a situation where I can make the Ronin Warriors kill more than one person."

"That time all we had was Ryo," Mason reminded her.

The woman leaned her head in acknowledgement. "You're right. All we had _was_ Ryo at that time."

It didn't really bother either of them that Ryo had killed before. To Mason it wasn't that big of a deal. To the Sorceress, all she cared about was the control she had over those 5 teenagers. Being paid by Mason was only an added bonus for her.

…

In a way, it didn't surprise the Ronin Warriors that much when the Sorceress came for all 5 of them. It had already happened before and since that seemed to be the only thing they were there for they knew it was bound to happen again.

Once again, they were escorted to the van with guns pointing at them. When they arrived at their destination, they found that the place wasn't far from the city. They knew that it was more likely that _someone_ would see them. If Mia could find that 'someone' she would be given information about them. The only problem was that they didn't _know_ if they wanted her to know about what they were about to be forced to do.

Their Sealing Marks were once again unlocked and the need to destroy was given. Once the Sorceress was finished she stepped to the side like before.

"Remember," she told them, "you are to make those people leave."

The 5 teenagers found themselves nodding.

They walked inside the walls surrounding the house and found themselves in their full armor. They took their weapons in their hands.

"Anyone home?" Ryo called.

A gunshot was given as an answer. The bullet bounced off Ryo's chest. _Does everyone think that they can hurt me with their guns?_ It was something that seemed to happen each time the black-haired teenager fought.

"Will you leave before we have to fight?" Sage asked.

The need to destroy was overwhelming. If the people in the house didn't leave soon, they wouldn't be able to hold themselves back. They knew that once they began they wouldn't be able to stop until the enemy was either dead or had run. So far, when the enemy had run, none of them had been forced to chase them.

"Leave before we kill you!" Came the answer.

Ryo felt his hands grip his swords' hilts harder. He ran to the house with the others not far away. A surge of people ran from the building in front of them. Ryo's right sword went right through the arm of an enemy without hesitation. Wildfire's other sword went for the man's neck.

"Duck!" Ryo practically screamed.

The man that Ryo's sword was aiming for ducked in time to save his neck. The black-haired teenager pulled out his sword from the man's arm. Both went for his enemy's sides. Ryo was able to make one miss but the other dug into the man's left side.

Sage's sword pulled out of a man's stomach. The blonde aimed of the man's throat. With great effort, he was able to go over the man's head. The sword came back to Sage's side. The man crumbled to the ground with wide eyes.

"Help!" Sage's enemy cried. "This guy's crazy!"

A bullet banged off Sage's helmet. The blonde ran to the one who shot him. He aimed to cut the man in half. _No, no, no!_ He thought frantically. The blonde was unable to bring it up high enough in time. Sage's sword bit deep into the man's throat. Halo pulled out his bloody sword. He watched with horror as the man chocked on his blood and died. _This can't be happening!_

Kento was fighting a woman. He had lost count long ago of how many he had injured. Hardrock spun his staff. The blades on one side went into the woman's arm. He pulled it out. The woman screamed.

"I'm not staying to get killed," she cried.

The woman ran out of the area. Kento went for the next enemy.

Rowen's arrows went into multiple enemies. He grabbed some more and quickly shot them. He was having a harder time not killing people. His arrows were shot from a distance so it was hard to aim away from vital areas. When one went into a man's head, it somehow didn't surprise him. What _did_ surprise him was the satisfaction of killing an enemy. _I understand now why Ryo is so scared of it_ , he thought.

Cye's trident aimed for his next enemy's stomach. _I think this is at least the twelfth one I've fought_ , he thought. He was getting used to feeling like he needed to destroy something. He was having a slightly easier time making sure he didn't kill anyone. _I hope none of us have killed anyone_.

Ryo's right sword pulled out of the man's neck. The teenager saw the blood come out of the side of his enemy's mouth. With a gurgle, the man died. The body fell at Ryo's feet. Ryo screamed in terror; he had done it _again_. He hadn't been able to save another person from being killed by him. His swords dropped to the ground. He stood there staring at the body at his feet.

"Ryo!" Sage yelled.

Ryo looked at his friend. Sage saw the terror in his friend's eyes.

"I did it again, Sage," Wildfire told him.

Sage ran to the black-haired teenager's side. He looked at the man at Ryo's feet. He saw the same injury he had given to his own dead enemy. "We can't think about that right now," the blonde told Wildfire, "they're running so we can stop."

Ryo slowly nodded with relief. There was no one else to kill now. Wildfire's swords went back into his hands. He sheathed them.

All 5 left the area with 3 dead people and the rest helping the injured as they ran. The Ronin Warriors went back to where the Sorceress was waiting. Their armors disappeared before she locked their Sealing Marks. She touched each of their foreheads with the words that Ryo had heard many times before.

"Let's go home," she told everyone.

Everyone piled back into the van. When they arrived back at Mason's estate, the 5 teenagers were escorted back to their prison via guns pointed at them. Again, they noticed that a lot of them were only pointed at _Ryo_. Wildfire knew that the time that the Inferno had killed over half of that army still had them scared.

When they entered their prison, all 5 silently went to the terrace. They sat by each other with each lost in their own thoughts. Kento and Cye were thinking about the fight while Sage and Rowen were remembering the time that they had killed someone.

Ryo, however, was reliving 2 memories. He couldn't stop comparing the 2 times he had killed someone. Sage was the one who saw the pain on Wildfire's face.

"Ryo, are you okay?" Sage asked.

Ryo silently shook his head.

"Hey, hey, no worries; only 3 of them died today," Kento cheerfully told his friend. He was trying to help even though he was also feeling the pain from fighting _humans_.

"That's just it, Kento," Ryo pointed out, "we killed _3 people_."

Kento didn't say anything. He knew what his friend meant; Ryo didn't have to say anything.

They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening sitting on the terrace without talking much. When dinner came, none of them moved. It surprised the others that Kento didn't want to eat. None of them were hungry.

When night came, all 5 went to bed. They lay in them for a long time before being able to sleep.

Ryo had a nightmare. He dreamed of killing _all_ of the people that had been there when Ryo and his friends went to fight them.

It was when Wildfire started screaming that the others woke up. Rowen, who was sleeping next to the black-haired teenager, was the first to get to him.

Rowen shook Ryo's shoulders. "Ryo," Strata called as the others gathered around Wildfire's bed. "Ryo!"

Ryo's eyes shot open. Rowen was the only one who saw the absolute terror inside them. The black-haired teenager let out a sob. Strata's hands left his shoulders. Sage sat on the other side of Wildfire's bed.

"What happened?" The blonde asked.

"I…I k-killed them," Ryo managed to get through the sobs.

 _It must have been horrible_ , Sage thought, _I've never seen Ryo cry before_.

Ryo curled onto his side. His legs moved towards his chest. He didn't _want_ to think about what had happened today. _Why can't I forget that time?_ Ryo silently asked.

Sage moved further up the black-haired teenager's bed.

"I've got this," the blonde told the other 3. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

Rowen, Kento and Cye went back to their own beds. Sage got comfortable on Ryo's bed. They spent the rest of the night like that. All 5 were eventually able to fall asleep.

…

The rumor that the man's army had killed people in their last fight didn't come to Mia and Yuli until days later. Both were shocked by it. If that man's army really was the Ronin Warriors, they had just killed for the first time. They didn't know that Ryo had already killed once before.

Mia worried about what her boys must be thinking and feeling right now. If that army was truly them, they had just done something that wasn't ever supposed to happen. They were _teenagers_!

Yuli didn't like that Ryo and the others had killed. He wanted them back before it happened again. They had told the boy once that they would never kill or even hurt a human. They didn't mind destroying Dynasty Soldiers but humans were a different story.

…

The Sorceress came for Ryo again. Since Mason's offer had been completed, she had been given the right to go back to finding a way to control the Inferno. She wasn't about to give up on it yet. Not when she desired to hold the destructive power of it in her hands. Even after all this time, the possibility of the Inferno's soul not being inside Ryo hadn't ever come to her. She didn't know that the black-haired teenager's body could not handle having both the Wildfire and the Inferno's souls alongside his own inside him.

After the Sorceress left with Ryo, the other 4 went to their places beside the gate. At first none of them spoke.

"What do you guys think will happen to Ryo this time?" Kento finally asked.

"I don't really want to think about that," Cye answered.

"I agree with Cye," Rowen replied.

Sage nodded to show that he also agreed with the brunette.

They waited in silence for several hours after that. When they saw Ryo coming back, they quickly noticed that the black-haired boy was holding his right arm this time. They waited until the gate shut behind Wildfire before going to him.

"Can I see your arm?" Sage asked.

Ryo let go of it and held it out for the others to see. The inflamed marks that ran in 2 columns on the teenager's arm reminded them of the last time the Sorceress had tried to get control of the Inferno.

"She used different liquids this time," he explained before any of them had a chance to ask. "But they burned just as much as the last time."

The yawn that came from Ryo almost popped his jaw.

"For some reason I'm exhausted," Wildfire mumbled.

The black-haired teenager walked past his friends, cradling his arm once again. He went straight to bed. When he covered up, his injured arm didn't like the blanket touching the injuries on it. He took his arm out from underneath the blanket and laid it on top of it. Even though it wasn't close to evening, the teenager was asleep in minutes. Sage, Cye, Rowen and Kento just let their friend sleep. Instead they went to the terrace that was quickly becoming their favorite spot to think.

"What do you think will happen to Ryo if the Sorceress doesn't stop?" Cye asked.

"At this point, I don't know," Sage admitted. "Too many different ways have already been used to really know."

"Isn't there something that we _can_ do to stop the Sorceress?" Kento asked.

"You mean besides telling her and Mason where the Inferno's soul is? Nothing, really," Rowen replied.

"Ryo asked us not to tell them," Cye reminded everyone.

When Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye went to bed that night, Ryo was still sleeping. Wildfire didn't wake up until lunchtime the next day. The inflammation of the wounds on his arm had gone away at that point.

The 5 teenagers ate lunch together then went outside. Ryo went to the fire pit to sit near the blazing fire. Kento lay on the grass near him and Cye dived into the pool. Rowen and Sage just sat on the terrace so that Sage could sunbathe while Rowen waited for nightfall. Strata spent the day wishing for night to come quicker. He missed his armor and, unlike the others, didn't have much time to spend in his element.

They spent the rest of the day like that without the Sorceress coming. It wasn't till the next day that she came for the black-haired teenager.

…

When Ryo was taken from the prison, the other 4 went to wait by the prison gate.

"I'm getting tired of waiting like this so often," Kento complained.

"Ryo's needed us right after he comes back before, Kento," Rowen pointed out.

"We want to wait near the gate in case he needs help," Cye added.

Sage didn't say anything. His eyes were trained to the spot that Ryo would come into view. He ignored the conversation between the other 3 as he waited. When he saw Wildfire coming back, he waved his hand at the others. "Shh," he told them, "he's coming back."

Ryo was limping as he walked. When he came inside the prison, his right shoulder went against the wall. Sage and the others quickly noticed that Ryo's wasn't putting any weight on his left leg. When the others reached him, Ryo carefully bent over and wordlessly pulled up his jeans' pant leg to his knee. The same inflamed wounds from the same needle as before were in two columns on the outside of his leg.

"My leg's sore," Ryo explained as he pulled down the pant leg.

"Why was it your leg this time, Ryo?" Cye asked.

"The Sorceress was muttering something about needing a new place because my arms can't handle the needles again."

Rowen came closer to Ryo. "Let's get you off that leg," he suggested.

"Bed or chair?" Sage asked.

"Bed," Rowen answered.

Strata helped the injured teenager walk to their bedroom.

"I don't want the blanket to go over my left leg," Ryo told them once he had sat on his bed. "The blanket makes them hurt worse."

Wildfire lay down. Rowen and Sage helped Ryo with the blanket so that it wasn't touching the wounds.

"Get some sleep," Rowen told his black-haired friend.

Ryo nodded. He closed his eyes and the others left the room. He didn't wake up for the rest of the day.

…

Mia and Yuli were still asking about the rumored man and his 5-person army when a young man who was only several years older than Mia came to them.

"My name is Jason," he told them. "I've heard that you've been asking about a certain man and his army."

Mia nodded. "Yes. Can you tell me anything about him?"

Jason smiled. "I know who that man is and about his army."


	12. The Breakthrough

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 12**

 _The Breakthrough_

"But, I have to wonder. Why are you so insistent on finding out who this man is?" Jason asked Mia.

Mia had to fight to keep the smile off her face. _Finally_ she had what she had been looking for. "5 of my friends have been kidnapped by a man named Mason," she explained. "One of them had given me that man's name before all of them disappeared."

"How old are they?"

"They're only male teenagers."

"That man's army is only male teenagers."

"Can you describe them?"

Jason's description of the Ronin Warriors was so accurate that it was almost disturbing. _How does he know so much?_ Mia silently asked.

"Why do you know so much about that man and his army?" Mia asked.

"I've been keeping an eye on him for a while," Jason explained.

"Will you help us rescue Ryo and the others?" Yuli asked the young man.

"That's why I'm here," Jason answered. "Would you like me to help you rescue your friends?"

"How do you know we're looking for them?" Mia asked.

Jason winked. "I've got ways to find out things that people can't easily get information on."

 _Just how much does he know?_ It bothered Mia that he already knew so much when she had barely met him. If he knew that Mia and Yuli were looking for them, and could describe them in detail, she couldn't help but worry if he knew things about the Ronin Warriors that he shouldn't.

Something that Jason had said came back to the brunette woman. "Why are you keeping an eye on Mason?"

Jason's face turned into a frown. "There's a 24 year old woman who only calls herself 'the Sorceress' that is helping Mason control those teenagers. Because I am a sorcerer, I know that she needs to be stopped before she can use their overwhelming power to destroy a whole state or country."

"Thank you for wanting to help us," Mia said.

Jason's frown changed into a smile. "You're welcome."

The sorcerer left after promising to get in touch with them again. Mia and Yuli went back to their hotel room. Yuli lay on his stomach on the bed facing Mia.

"Do you think that it'll work?" He asked her.

"You mean Jason helping us rescue Ryo and the others?"

The boy nodded. "He didn't look like he was strong."

Mia shook her head. "Yuli, Ryo and the others don't look strong…well, Kento actually does. But, we know the strength that they possess. Jason could be similar."

"But will it _work_ , Mia?"

Mia smiled. "We won't know until we try, Yuli."

…

The Sorceress came for Ryo the next day. She took him to her lab and the other teenagers went to wait at the gate. Kento fell asleep sitting against the wall as they waited for their black-haired friend to come back. When Cye saw Wildfire coming back, he bent down and nudged Hardrock. The purple-haired teenager opened his eyes. Cye's thumb silently pointed over his shoulder.

As Ryo came near, the others could tell that the teenager looked sick. Wildfire stopped inside the gate and just looked at them. Sage and the others came to Ryo.

"You okay, buddy?" Rowen asked.

Ryo shook his head. "I don't feel good," he answered. "She tried something completely different today."

Cye's hand went to Ryo's forehead. The brunette immediately dropped it. "Oh, yeah," he muttered, "I forgot that I'm sensitive to heat."

Torrent moved to the side and Rowen took the brunette's place. The blue-haired teenager's hand went to Ryo's forehead. He quickly removed it and shook it as if he had gotten burned.

"His temperature is too high," he told the others, "I think he has a fever."

All of them knew Ryo's normal body temperature. They _had_ to know if they wanted to help their friend.

Rowen took Ryo's arm and escorted the teenager to bed. Ryo lay down and covered up. Rowen left to get some Tylenol from the guard. Strata came back with a bottle of it and some water. He gave the water to Ryo and opened the bottle. He handed some to the black-haired teenager who swallowed them. Strata left to take the empty glass back to the dining room.

Ryo closed his eyes. He turned onto his side and bunched the blanket around his neck. "I want to sleep right now," he told his friends.

Sage nodded. "One of us will come back later to check on you," he told Wildfire.

The blonde escorted the others out of the room. When they passed the dining room, Halo told Rowen to come with them outside. When they reached the terrace, all sat in the chairs that had been moved close together a long time ago. They sat there looking at the sky. They missed Mia and Yuli right now. Kento wondered if she knew where they were by now.

"Do you think she'll ever find us?" Kento suddenly asked.

"You mean Mia?" Sage asked. "I hope so. I don't want to stay here."

"I don't want _Ryo_ to stay here," Rowen said. "I don't want to stay either but Ryo is the one I'm most worried about. He can't keep going through this."

The blonde nodded. "You're right, Rowen. I think it's Ryo that all of us want out of here the most."

Kento nodded. "I can keep taking this, but Ryo can't."

"I don't want to 'keep taking this'," Cye interjected, "but I agree that its Ryo I want out of here the most."

"But there isn't anything we can do, guys," Rowen reminded the others. "Everything depends on Mia finding where we are."

"But, I wonder how she can rescue us when we can't leave _ourselves_ ," Sage told them.

Kento shrugged. "This is Mia we're talking about," he told them, "she'll find a way. She _always_ finds the information she's looking for."

Cye held up his right arm. The tracking bracelet on his wrist moved. "What about this?" The brunette asked. "Can she even find anything about the Sealing Mark that the Sorceress put on us?"

Kento waved his hand a few times. "No worries, no worries! This is Mia we're talking about," he reminded them.

"Do you think we can force the Sorceress to remove them when we're rescued?" Cye asked.

Rowen gave him the _are you kidding me?_ look. "We're not going anywhere _near_ her when we are rescued. She'll be able to stop us if we do."

Cye nodded. "That's true."

"Does she even _need_ to be close to stop us, though?" Rowen asked. That was something none of them had thought about before.

"I think she does," Cye replied, "she's always been close to us when she's made us freeze."

The blonde nodded. "He's right, Rowen. I doubt she can do something like that from far away."

"And if she can?" Strata asked.

"Then there has to be a range to it," Halo responded. "If we get out of that range, we'll be fine."

Sage went to check on Ryo before dinner. The black-haired teenager woke long enough to take some more Tylenol before going back to sleep. Halo checked Ryo's forehead before going to the dining room where the others were already eating.

"It's gone down a little," he told them after he sat in his chair. "I think it'll be gone by tomorrow."

Kento swallowed his mouthful of food in one gulp. "That's good," he said.

"Do you think she'll leave Ryo alone tomorrow?" Cye asked after he swallowed his forkful of food.

"I don't know," Rowen answered. "There hasn't been any set amount of time between each time she's come for him."

The rest of dinner was eaten in silence. Once dinner was done they went back to the terrace. Sage kept Rowen company while Cye floated in the pool and Kento laid on the ground. Rowen was the next to check on Ryo. He woke Ryo long enough to give him some Tylenol again then left to let his friend sleep off his fever.

When he returned back to the terrace, Sage asked "how is he doing?"

Rowen sat beside the blonde. "His fever's still going down. I gave him some more Tylenol."

Sage nodded. The 2 of them continued to sit there for a while until Sage called everyone back inside to go to bed. Since it had been long enough, Ryo was given some more Tylenol before everyone went to sleep.

Ryo's fever went away during the night.

…

Ryo's heart almost stopped in terror the next day when he saw the Sorceress coming for him. He took a few steps away from the woman.

 _Please don't take me_ , he frantically thought, _please don't take me_.

The woman stopped in front of the terrified Wildfire. She sweetly smiled but Ryo wasn't fooled. After so many times, he knew what she was about to do.

"Come, Ryo," she said as she held out her hand as if offering to guide the black-haired teenager, "let's go shall we?"

Ryo shook his head as he started to shake. _Go away_ , he thought.

The Sorceress frowned. Ryo felt himself start moving. He walked behind her as she led him out of the prison. As he passed the others, he felt their eyes following him.

Once Ryo and the Sorceress were gone, the other 4 teenagers went to the prison gate. They got 'comfortable' as they waited for their friend to come back. Each were going through the times that Ryo had been taken and the condition he had been in when he had come back.

It wasn't long before they heard Ryo start screaming. The pain they could _hear_ in his voice seemed to be more than the time she had injured his sides.

Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen _panicked_. When Ryo didn't quickly stop screaming, all of them ran to the prison gate. Kento grabbed onto the gate.

"Take us to Ryo, _now_!" Sage yelled.

"Be quiet," their guard said from around the corner, "you're not leaving so you might as well shut up."

"We _need_ to help Ryo!" Kento protested.

"You're not leaving unless it's to fight, so you might as well give up."

Kento's fist banged a bar in anger. The purple-haired teenager muttered something under his breath. He went back to the wall and fell onto his rear with his legs crossed. Cye went to stand beside Hardrock, and Sage and Rowen took up a spot across from them. They waited with fear as they continued to hear Ryo screaming.

…

Jason was with Mia and Yuli in their hotel room. There was a map of part of the city on the table between them. The 2 adults sat in the chairs on opposite sides of it while Yuli just stood at the side.

"Are you sure that's where they are?" Mia asked.

Jason's finger tapped a single area of the map again. "Yes," he answered. "Mason is _rich_ so he'd live in one of the richer spots in the city."

"Where is he keeping them, Jason?" Yuli asked.

"His estate is big. He can easily hide any evidence that your kidnapped friends are there. He has a single spot of his mansion that's been turned into a prison."

"But how will we rescue them?" Mia asked.

Jason shrugged. "I don't know," he told her, "that's why I've come to ask for your help in coming up with a way. You know your friends better than I do so you know what they are able and not able to do."

"I think once we free them from their prison, they can easily get everyone out of there," Mia told the young man.

" _Everyone_?" Jason asked in disbelief. "You make it sound so easy."

Yuli smiled. "Yeah! Ryo and the others can do things that _no one else_ can do."

The sorcerer gave the boy a dubious look. "That's impossible," he flatly told the boy.

Yuli frowned. "It's the truth!" He protested.

Mia's hand touched Yuli's arm. "It's okay," she soothed, "he doesn't believe because he doesn't know them." Her hand went back to her lap and she returned her attention to Jason. "Do you know exactly where they are being kept?"

Jason nodded. "I've seen what everyone refers to as their 'prison'."

Mia felt herself shudder. He almost made it sound as if they had done something illegal. _But haven't they?_ She thought. _They've been fighting using their armors_.

"Mia?" Yuli asked.

The brunette woman gave the boy a smile. "I'm okay, Yuli," she told the 10 year old. Her attention went back to the sorcerer. "Do you know how to get them out of there?"

Jason nodded. "The Sorceress has put charms around the prison to make sure that your friends can't leave. Since I am also a sorcerer I can take them off so that we can free your friends."

"Why only you?" Mia asked. She was genuinely curious. Shouldn't anyone be able to peel them off? _If that's true then why haven't Ryo and the others done so?_

"Only those with supernatural powers can touch those charms. Since none of your friends can, they are effectively 'sealed' inside their prison."

"Can you not say 'prison'?" Yuli asked Jason. "You make them sound as if they are bad people."

Jason bowed his head slightly. "Very well; your friends cannot leave their area because of those charms."

"Will it be that simple?" Mia asked.

Jason shook his head. "Mason almost always has a guard around the corner."

"I see…."

Yuli perked up. He pointed at himself. "Can I help?" He asked.

Mia looked at the boy and shook her head. "You're too young, Yuli," she answered.

"Mia's right, Yuli," Jason told the boy.

"But you don't even know when's the best time to rescue them!" Yuli protested

"We'll figure that out when the time comes," Mia told the boy.

…

Mason was sitting in his study as he continued to go over the long list of people to invite to his next party. He crossed off some names on another piece of paper and added others. Some had been to them more recently than the others. He wanted to have those who hadn't been to one of his parties for a while to come this time.

Ryo's screams were still echoing in his mansion at this point. Even as he listened to the teenager's pained screams, he _didn't_ feel anything. To him as long as Ryo could be continued to be used in his offers, he didn't really _care_ what happened to him.

 _That it?_

He looked over the list a couple of more times. It was little longer than normal but he didn't mind this time. He took the several pieces of paper in his hands and walked across the room. He opened a drawer and took out many stacks of unopened invitation cards. He brought everything to a bigger table. He sat the papers one side and the cards on the other. He sat in the chair and started filling in the date and time of the party. He liked doing it by hand; gave it a more authentic air for him.

Ryo's screams continued to echo throughout his mansion as he filled out all of the invitations.

…

Jason came back to Mia and Yuli's hotel room a couple of hours later. In his hand was an envelope. He knocked on the door and the young woman opened it. She backed to the side and the sorcerer came inside. He went to the table and sat the unopened envelope on it. He sat in one of the chairs.

"Mason's throwing a party in a week," he told the other 2 in the room. "This'll be the perfect time to rescue your friends."

Mia sat in the other chair. She took the envelope and looked at it.

"Yours and my name is on the envelope," she commented.

Jason winked. "I wrote it in using Mason's own handwriting."

"Why do have my last name as ours?"

Jason smiled "Why not? I _like_ your last name."

"But how do you know it?"

Jason's smile turned into a big grin. "Remember: I've got ways to get information that isn't easy for most to find."

"Are we going as a couple?"

"Husband and wife," he proudly stated, "looks more authentic that way."

"How will we do it?" Mia asked.

"We'll go to the party as a couple. When we get inside, we'll mingle with the partiers for a little bit before 'disappearing'. We'll free your friends and then everyone will escape, hopefully with no one noticing."

"Do you know where Ryo and the others are being kept?" She asked.

Jason nodded. "I know," he agreed.

…

Ryo was dumped on the ground just inside the prison again. He lay still on the floor, looking unnaturally pale. The scene was eerily familiar to another time.

Sage and the others ran to their friend. Halo went on his knees and looked Ryo over. He quickly noticed the large blood stain on his friend's right side. "She did his right side again," the blonde told the others.

Rowen bent down to take a closer look. "Probably tried to go in deeper this time; the bloodstain is bigger than the last time. That might be why it's only that one side."

Halo stood and moved to the side. "Kento, can you carry Ryo to his bed again? Just be careful since his side is injured."

Kento bent down. Rowen helped Hardrock get his arms under the black-haired teenager. The purple-haired teenager straightened and cradled his injured friend against his chest. He walked behind Sage with Cye following behind them. When they reached Wildfire's bed, Sage stopped Kento.

"Wait until Rowen gets back with a towel," the blonde told Hardrock.

Rowen went to Ryo's bed holding a bathroom towel in his hand. He laid it out on the bed on the other side from Kento.

"Okay," the blue-haired teenager said, "let's lay him down so that his injured side is on the towel."

Rowen helped Kento lay Ryo on the black-haired teenager's bed. Cye left to get a bowl of water and a dishrag while Sage went to get a pair of scissors. Cye set the bowl of water and dishrag on Rowen's bed. Sage handed Rowen the scissors. With the blonde's help, Strata removed Ryo's shirt. The blonde dumped the pieces of the bloody shirt on the ground.

Rowen took the dishrag and got it wet.

"Sorry, Ryo," the blue-haired teenager softly apologized.

The noise that came from Wildfire as he wiped the blood off was louder than last time. Ryo unconsciously tried to move away from the source of pain. Sage put his hands on Ryo's sides to hold him still. His right one was above the wound.

"Its okay, Ryo," Sage soothed. "Just bear with it for a little longer."

Rowen tried to be as gentle as possible while he got the blood off of his friend's skin. Once the skin was free of it, he put the dishrag in the bowl of bloody water.

Rowen turned to the brunette. "Cye, do we still have the bandages from last time?" Rowen asked.

Cye nodded. "Let me get them." He went to one of the drawers in the room and opened it. He pulled out a couple of rolls of bandages and closed the drawer. He gave them to Strata.

"Sage, I want you to help me again," he told the blonde.

Halo nodded.

"Kento, I want you to hold Ryo in a sitting position while we do it. It'll be easier that way."

Kento gently grabbed Ryo's shoulders and lifted him into a sitting position. The purple-haired teenager sat behind his injured friend while the other 2 wrapped his chest. Once Rowen and Sage were finished, both of them grabbed one of Ryo's shoulders. Kento slid out from behind Wildfire. The towel was taken off the bed and the black-haired teenager was gently laid back down. Sage covered the unconscious teenager with his blanket.

"You know, we might have to ask for more bandages soon if Ryo's keeps getting injured like that," Kento lamely joked.

Cye frowned. "That isn't funny, Kento," he flatly told his friend.

"Let's leave Ryo alone for now," Rowen suggested. "One of us will check on him often until he wakes up."

The other 3 nodded. All 4 left the room with the light off and went to the dining room. They sat at the table but didn't say anything. None of them felt like talking; each were replaying the 10 times that the Sorceress had experimented on their friend.

"Do you think she'll accidently kill Ryo during one of those times?" Cye asked.

Kento cringed at the image that it brought. "I hope not," he replied.

Nothing else was said as each took turns checking on their injured friend. When night came Wildfire still hadn't woken up. The other teenagers went to sleep. Ryo never woke up during the night.

…

"Is that all?" Mia asked.

Jason nodded. "I think that's everything I can think of."

Mia looked at the map of Mason's estate that the sorcerer had drawn. There was a circle where the guard would be and lines for the route that she and Jason would take when they went to rescue their friends during Mason's party.

"I'm also going to rent an apartment for you guys and your friends," Jason told the young woman. "You can stay there after your friends are rescued. I want you guys to hide in it until you can fly home."

"I don't want to buy the plane tickets until after Ryo and the others are rescued," Mia told the young man.

"Very well," Jason said.

"But what if you can't rescue Ryo and the others?" Yuli asked from his spot on his bed. He was lying on his stomach with his hands holding his cheeks.

"That's why I don't want to buy the plane tickets yet," Mia responded.

Jason gave the 2 an encouraging smile. "Don't worry," he told them, "we'll be able to rescue them."

Yuli grinned.

…

The Sorceress was sitting on her couch inside her rooms. She was becoming frustrated with her lack of progress. She had spent so much time trying to get the control she desired over Ryo's Inferno armor. Yet, no matter what she did, it was as if there was no form that she could get her hands on.

 _What am I missing?_

There had to be something that she wasn't aware of. It was the only explanation. She knew that each Ronin Warrior held their armors' souls inside them – including Ryo's Wildfire. She knew that it was impossible for their armor's souls to not be inside them. She had learned that each time she had placed a Sealing Mark on them. She had even _felt_ something inside the black-haired teenager that wasn't there in the other 4. Since all 5 had had the souls of their armors inside of them, it seemed only logical that the Inferno's soul would also reside inside Ryo.

 _And yet it's as if there is nothing_ there _for me to grab_.

…

It was the night of Mason's party.

Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen were sitting out on the terrace. Rowen looked to the sky.

"There's a bad rainstorm coming," he informed the others.

"Again?" Kento asked. He was sure his friend wasn't happy. Rain meant no moon. The purple-haired teenager knew that his friend had come to love sitting in the moonlight.

All 4 heard the footsteps coming towards the door leading inside. _Mason's here_ , Sage thought. They looked to the door and waited for their jailer to come into view.

 _That's a creepy way to think of it_ , Cye thought. _And yet, isn't that true? The Sorceress may be our prison keeper but Mason is our jailer_.

Mason came outside. He was wearing a black tux that looked brand new. He stopped in front of the teenagers and looked them over.

"There will be a party here tonight," he informed them. "Do not draw attention to yourselves."

Kento was tempted to salute the man and say 'yes, sir'. He would have as a joke but it was so close to the truth that it was almost disturbing. Instead, none of them said anything. Each had a defiant look in their eye but they knew that it was pointless.

Mason left the Ronin Warriors' prison feeling uneasy. He didn't understand why he felt this way as all of the times before the teenagers had behaved themselves. Mason had also made sure that _no one_ knew about the Ronin Warriors and where he was keeping them.

When the 4 teenagers knew that the mercenary was gone, Sage turned to Rowen. "How's Ryo's side?"

"It's doing better," the blue-haired teenager replied. "It's half-way healed now."

"Has he woken up yet?" Cye asked.

Strata shook his head. "Except for those few times between a few seconds and a few minutes, he's been unconscious for the last week."

"I'm surprised that the Sorceress hasn't come back for him yet," Hardrock mentioned.

Rowen shrugged. "Maybe she's letting him rest."

"Or she's coming up with more ways," Cye pointed out.

"Man, I hope not," Kento said. He made a disgusted face. "It's bad enough what she's _already_ done to Ryo."

"I wonder if she's running out of ways," the blonde commented.

"What makes you say that?" Cye asked Halo.

Sage shrugged. "She's done those shots three times-" Kento shuddered at the memory. "-and now she's gone after his right side again."

"Does this mean that Ryo won't have to go through any of that anymore?" Cye asked. Everyone could hear the hope in his voice.

"That's just it, Cye," Kento answered for everyone, "we _don't_ know."

"I don't think any one of us _will_ ever know if she does," Sage added.

…

Mia put a small dangle earring with a real pearl at the bottom of it through her ear. She turned her head to the other side and slid its twin through her other ear. She checked in the mirror to see if her necklace had moved. When she was satisfied, she walked out of the bathroom in the hotel room.

Yuli was sitting on his bed looking unhappy. He had tried _again_ to get them to let him go with them to rescue the Ronin Warriors. Mia was firm in her decision to leave Yuli behind when she and Jason went to Mason's party.

The formal, black dress that Mia had been given looked like one a rich woman would wear. Mia knew that she most likely wouldn't have bought this dress even though she actually _liked_ it. She didn't want to think about how much the sorcerer must have paid for it.

There was a knock on the door.

"Can you get that, Yuli?" Mia asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Yuli answered. The boy went to the door and opened it. "Mia, it's Jason," he called to the young woman behind him.

Mia smiled. "Come on in," she told the young man.

Jason walked in and Yuli closed the door. Mia saw that the sorcerer was wearing an expensive-looking tux.

"I'm almost ready," she told him.

Jason nodded. "Take your time," he told her, "the party won't start soon."

Mia went to the bag that had come with the box that the dress had come in. She took out a pair of black flats. When she looked at the young man, he said "I thought it would be better than wearing heels."

The brunette woman understood his reasoning. Heels made noise when a woman walked and it was harder to run when wearing them. Flats would make it easier when it was time to rescue her boys. She slipped her shoes on. She took the bag that the earrings, necklace, flats and make-up had come in and put her regular shoes inside. She tied the bag and put it in her suitcase. She zipped it and turned to Yuli.

"Are you packed?" She asked the 10 year old.

Yuli nodded. "Did it while you were getting changed," he answered.

"Is everything ready then?" Jason asked. "We can't come back here after we rescue your friends."

Mia sat her suitcase on the floor. She pulled up the handle and wheeled it around the bed. Yuli wheeled his own around his bed. Mia checked the room one last time before she followed Jason and Yuli out. She closed the door behind her and all 3 headed for the lobby. Jason and Yuli waited by the front door as Mia checked out.

"Going to a party?" The receptionist said with a wink.

Mia colored. "Something like that," she answered.

The receptionist looked at Jason. "Going on a date?" She asked with a smile.

Mia looked at the sorcerer. "Yeah," she smoothly answered.

The other young woman took back the key card. "Have fun," she told the brunette woman.

 _Yeah, it'll be fun_ , Mia thought.

She went to the other 2 and they walked out of the hotel. Jason led them to a car in the parking lot. He opened the back and put both suitcases inside. Mia took the front while Yuli sat behind her. Jason got into the driver's seat. He buckled then turned on the car.

It was silent as Jason drove through the city. Mia was going over the plan inside her head while Yuli was wishing that he could help rescue the Ronin Warriors. Neither knew what Jason was thinking.

After a while, Jason pulled into the parking lot of a nice looking apartment complex. He parked the car and got out. Mia and Yuli followed suit. He took out their suitcases then led them to the second story. He stopped in front of a door and took out a key. He opened the door and the other 2 followed him inside rolling their suitcases.

"Yuli, you'll stay here while Mia and I are gone," Jason told the boy.

"Just hurry up. I want them back," Yuli told him.

Jason ruffled the boy's hair who glared at him, "I can't guarantee how long we'll take," he told the boy.

Mia went to the door. "Let's go," she said.

Jason nodded. Both left with the sorcerer shutting the door. They returned to the car and both got in. Jason started driving to Mason's estate on the other side of the city.

"There is things you need to know," Jason began. "The grounds of Mason's estate are off-limits so when we leave we'll have to be careful. Mason is a mercenary so it's possible that his people know how to fight."

"Is there anything else?" Mia asked.

"We can't be seen when we go to where your friends are." Jason took a glance at the brunette woman. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Mia admitted, "but that won't stop me from rescuing Ryo and the others."

"Those boys seem to mean a lot to you," Jason commented as he turned down another street.

"We've been through a lot together," Mia explained.

Jason knew that Mia wasn't telling him everything but didn't ask what it was.

A long time after leaving the apartment complex, Jason and Mia reached Mason's estate. Jason pulled into an empty spot and shut off the engine. He turned to the young woman beside him.

"Are you ready?" He asked her.

Mia nodded. "I'm ready," she replied.

They got out of the car and walked to the gates of Mason's estate. It wasn't long before they reached the crowd of people who were going inside.

Jason leaned towards Mia. "Act normal. We don't want to give anything away," he whispered.

"Alright," Mia whispered back.

Jason held out his arm and Mia wordlessly took it. Jason led the brunette woman behind the people going inside.

Mia's eyes began roaming the grounds as they walked. She was looking for anything that would point to her boys being there.

Jason leaned over again. "Don't attract people's attention," he reminded her.

Mia's eyes went straight ahead. The temptation to keep looking was strong but Mia tried her best to ignore it. When they reached the stairs leading to the front doors of the mansion, Mia picked up a side of her skirt. Jason led her up the stairs behind the others.

A few steps before the front doors, a man went before them. He stared hard at them.

"I've never seen you before," he flatly told them.

RME: so we've finally arrived at the part that I'm sure that you're all _dying_ to read. Took what? 12 chapters? I didn't think that it'd take this many chapters before reaching our boys' rescue. But the question becomes, will Mia and Jason succeed? And if they do, will it be easy?

As a funny side note: when I was coming up with Jason's character I was having a hard time finding a name for him. In the end I chose Jason because I thought it was a cool name. It's not until a _long_ time later that I realized just how similar his name is to Mason's. …Oops?


	13. Rescuing the Ronin Warriors

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 13**

 _Rescuing the Ronin Warriors_

Mia looked at Jason for help.

"My wife and I just moved to Los Angeles," Jason lied with a perfectly straight face. "We've heard of Mason's _famous_ -" Jason stressed the last word "-parties and wanted to go to one."

The man looked the sorcerer up and down. Jason and Mia looked like they were rich. Mason only wanted those who were rich to attend his parties. But there was something fishy about the couple that had the man doubting Jason.

"Do you have an invitation to prove your words?" The man asked.

Jason looked surprised. He turned to Mia. "Honey, did you bring it?" He asked.

Mia's heart almost stopped. "I thought you brought it, dear," she lied.

"Oh…," Jason said as if remembering something. Mia let go of the sorcerer's arm and the young man dug through his shirt's pocket. He held out the invitation that was still in its envelope to the man. Mia took Jason's arm again as the man opened it. He quickly looked the invitation over before handing it back.

The man moved to the side. His hand waved them to the door. "Have fun, Mr. Koji," the man said with a smile.

Jason elegantly nodded his head and led the brunette woman inside.

"That was close," Mia whispered as she was led through the foyer.

Jason smiled. "But you did well, playing along." The sorcerer stuffed the envelope back inside his shirt's pocket as they walked. He led the young woman to the ballroom.

"-are still off limits. I apologize for this inconvenience. I hope you enjoy the party." Mason left the stage at the opposite end of the room.

Mia quickly noticed that the ballroom was packed. "There's so many people," she softly commented as she was led inside.

"That's good," Jason whispered to her, "it means we'll have an easier time 'disappearing' later." Jason saw people watching the 'couple'. "Will you join me in dancing, dear?" He asked Mia.

Mia smiled at her 'husband'. "I'd love to," she answered.

Mia was taken to the dance floor. She let go of the sorcerer's arm. Jason's left arm went behind her waist and his right hand grabbed hers. He smiled then began to dance. Since Mia's family was rich it was only reasonable that she would know how to dance at a party. The surprising part was that Jason knew as well as her. He led her around the dance floor as if he was a professional dancer. When the dance ended, they walked to the side of the room. It wasn't long before an older couple came to them.

"My," the woman said with a smile, "you looked lovely out there."

Mia smiled back. "Thank you."

"My name is Alexis Steel," the woman introduced. She looked at the man standing beside her, "and this is my husband Austin."

"How do you do," Mia said.

"I haven't seen you at one of these parties before," Alexis commented.

"My wife and I just moved to Los Angeles and had heard about these parties. I asked for an invitation to this one," Jason explained.

"My, isn't the party so grand?" Alexis asked as she looked around the room. "I've never been to a party quite like this one."

Austin laughed. "She _loves_ parties," he explained.

Mia gave the strangers a tight smile. She _didn't_ like going to parties. She would rather spend time with her boys and Yuli than being 'stuck' at one of the rich people's parties.

"Where did you live before now?" Austin asked.

"New York," Jason lied. "We were tired of the crowded city and decided to move here since there would be less people."

Alexis laughed. "I think you may have been mistaken," she said with a smile, "I'm sure here's not much better than where you used to live."

Jason smiled. "You're right, Alexis," he agreed.

"Do you have any children? Alexis always wanted children," Austin asked.

"We still haven't decided," Jason told him. "We've only been married for 3 years so far."

"I'm sure that would have been enough time for you to decide."

Mia didn't like the way this was going. "Do you have any children, Alexis?"

The older woman sadly shook her head. "I'm barren, you see. My husband doesn't want to adopt so we've never had any."

"Why not, Austin?" Jason asked.

"I don't want a child that people can tell is not ours," the older man replied.

Alexis playfully hit her husband's arm. "He's just too self-conscious," she explained. "He doesn't like standing out and is afraid that will make him."

Austin had enough decency to blush.

Jason bowed to the older couple. "If you don't mind, my wife and I were thinking about getting something to eat," he told them. Mia knew that they _hadn't_ said anything about that but she knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to disentangle themselves from the older couple.

Austin smiled. "Mason always has such delicious food at his parties. I'm sure you'll find something you love there."

Mia curtsied. "Thank you for the information," she told him, "I can't wait to try them."

Austin shook Jason's hand and Alexis hugged Mia. The younger 'couple' left. They walked to the snack bar and each took a plate. If Jason had said they wanted food to get away from the Steels, then they needed to at least show that they had intended to do so.

Mia was surprised at the amount of food that Mason offered his guests. It seemed as if he hadn't spared any expense on it. Mia found herself filling her plate quickly. She saw that Jason was doing the same thing. Mia had to smile at the concentration that the sorcerer seemed to be giving the action. When they reached the end of the row of food, Jason led the young woman to a table in the back of the room that was near the entrance of the ballroom. They sat and began eating.

As they ate 2 women – one much younger than the other – came to them. Both sat across from them and set their own plates of food on the table.

"I haven't seen you at one of these parties before," the older woman commented. "Isn't this party wonderful, though? I keep bringing my daughter to these parties in hopes of her finding a husband. You know, the Cinderella-type of meeting."

"Mother!" The younger woman protested as she blushed. "I'm only 17. I don't want to get married yet."

Her mother patted her arm with an affectionate smile. "I'm joking."

Mia looked over the women's heads to watch the people dancing in the middle of the room.

The mother saw Mia's attention had diverted. "You 2 danced rather well," she commented.

This time Mia blushed. "My mother insisted that I learned how to as a teenager."

The older woman nodded. "You're mother was smart."

 _Except it was so that I could dance at parties like this one_ , Mia silently corrected the other.

"Are you 2 married?" The daughter asked.

Jason took Mia's hand that was on the table in his. "Yes," he said as he looked at Mia with a smile. "3 years actually; next month is our fourth year anniversary."

The mother frowned. "That is awfully long of someone your age," she said to Mia.

"I'm actually 23," Mia lied. "I've been told that I look young for my age."

Jason nodded. "Tell me about it." He winked at the daughter. "There was one time people thought she was my younger sister; wouldn't believe that she's my wife."

The daughter started laughing. "That must have been something!" She managed between laughs.

Mia nodded. She quite liked where _this_ one was going. "It seems some people seem to not believe us because I look so young." _But I_ am _as young as I look_ , Mia reminded herself.

The daughter turned to Jason. "Can I ask how old you are? Are also the same as your wife?"

Jason shook his head. "I'm actually 23 as well," he answered.

The mother nodded as she looked Jason up and down. "I can see that you look your age."

Jason mock bowed with a smile. "And that is why we have a problem," he admitted.

The daughter whistled. "Both of you were young when you got married, weren't you?"

"20," Mia proudly announced. "We were married right after my twentieth birthday."

The daughter took on a dreamy look. "That must have been wonderful, having it after your birthday."

Mia wasn't sure what to say to that. Thankfully Jason came to her rescue. "I don't think my wife liked it though," he lied with a smile as he patted her hand. "She was so stressed out that day that I don't think she enjoyed her birthday that year."

 _Now_ Mia knew what to say. She playfully pushed her 'husband' on the shoulder. "It was just fine, dear," she lied with an amused smile. She looked at the daughter. "He made the day special. Wouldn't let me even talk about our wedding on that day."

The daughter giggled when Jason faked surprise. "I didn't want you to feel as if your birthday didn't matter that year."

"Did you have your birthday yet?" The mother asked Mia.

Mia shook her head. "It's a couple days from now," she lied.

"Well, happy birthday then," the mother told the brunette woman.

Mia smiled in appreciation. "Thank you."

The mother's attention was caught a ways away from where Mia and Jason sat. The older woman smiled eagerly. "Excuse us," she said. "I think that I may have found another candidate for my daughter's husband." The woman stood and grabbed her daughter's hand.

"Motherrrrrrrrrr ~" The younger woman protested as she was dragged away from Mia and Jason's table.

Mia smiled and waved goodbye.

"Ready?" Jason whispered.

Mia didn't need to ask what Jason was talking about. "Ready," she breathed.

Jason and Mia quietly stood. After scanning the room to see that no one was paying attention to them, both stole out of the room. Jason started walking to one side of the foyer with Mia following a few steps behind. She quickly saw that there was no hesitation in the sorcerer as she was led through the seemingly-deserted mansion. _Where is everyone?_ She thought as she kept looking around herself. She half-expected for someone to jump out and catch them red-handed as they snuck through Mason's mansion.

Mia wasn't sure how long it took for them to reach where her boys were being kept. Jason eventually stopped her at a corner. He looked at his watch. "Perfect," he whispered. "It's the change of guards."

Mia wanted to know how the sorcerer knew when the change of guards occurred. The young man was a mystery that seemed to be able to do _anything_. She didn't say anything though as she was afraid that someone might hear her. Instead, she followed him around the corner. She saw what looked like a prison gate with pieces of paper around it.

"Charms," Jason explained. "Put there by the Sorceress."

Mia nodded in understanding. The sorcerer's hand waved over the lock and the gate opened. Mia followed Jason into the prison. They walked through the single hall looking for the 5 Ronin Warriors. They came across a bathroom and a room that looked like a dining room but none of the teenagers were spotted.

 _Are they not here for some reason?_ Mia wondered. She became afraid that they had been taken to another place to fight. _Please let them be here_ , she silently begged.

They finally came to a room with 5 beds. Sitting on 4 of them were Sage, Rowen, Kento and Cye. Ryo, she saw, was sleeping in his.

"-I'm telling you…." Kento stopped talking when he felt someone enter.

All 4 of them looked unhappy when their eyes went to see who had walked in. Their expressions changed into surprise when they saw who was standing in the doorway.

"M-Mia?" Cye asked uncertainly.

Mia hesitantly smiled. "Hey, guys."

The 4 teenagers all but leapt off their beds in their haste to get to their female friend.

"How were you able to get inside here?" Cye asked. "None of us were able to break out of here."

Mia motioned to Jason. "I had his help. He says that he's a sorcerer."

Mia didn't expect the reaction she received from her words. She saw that her 4 friends suddenly looked suspicious of Jason. She didn't understand _why_ her boys had reacted like that.

Sage and the other 3 had only ever met one person with supernatural powers and their experiences with that person had never been all that pleasant. After everything that the Sorceress had done to them – especially Ryo – it was only natural that they would be suspicious of another person with supernatural powers.

Kento moved to block Jason's path to Ryo. "I won't let you take Ryo away again," he flatly told the sorcerer.

Jason was confused. He hadn't expected the teenagers' reactions and Kento's statement. "What are you talking about?"

"The Sorceress; she's been taking him so she can get control of the Inferno," Rowen explained.

"How can she get control of it if only Ryo can wear the Inferno?" Mia asked.

 _Now this is interesting_ , Jason thought.

"She's found a way to control all of our armors, Mia – including the Wildfire. The Inferno is the only one she can't," Rowen explained.

"This situation is worse than I thought it was," Jason commented to himself.

Sage looked at the brunette woman. "What is he talking about, Mia?"

"Jason came with me to rescue you guys," Mia explained. "He wants to stop the Sorceress."

The 4 conscious teenagers suddenly understood that Jason was here to help _Mia_ , not the _Sorceress_.

"Is there is a way to get you guys out of here without having to go through the mansion?" Jason asked.

Rowen nodded. "There is but it's going to start raining really bad soon."

Jason didn't understand what Rowen had said. "How do you know that a rainstorm is coming when there isn't any indication for it?"

"He has the ability to sense any change in the weather," Mia started.

"Yeah, he's like a weather detector!" Kento joked.

"He's never been wrong when he says it's going to rain," Mia finished.

Ryo turned over and opened his eyes. He saw his friends, Mia and an unknown young man standing by the door.

"Guys, what's going on?" Ryo asked.

"We're getting out of here, Ryo," Sage answered.

Wildfire slowly sat up, being careful of his injured right side. "When are we leaving?"

"We're taking you guys away from here now," Mia gently answered.

"There's a part of this place that is outside with walls surrounding it," Rowen continued.

"Why haven't you jumped over those walls?" Mia asked. With the abilities that the Ronin Warriors had, they could have _easily_ jumped over the walls. She had yet to come across a wall that her boys couldn't get over.

"There are pieces of paper on them that are stopping us from being able to do so," Sage explained.

"Those pieces of paper must be the charms that the Sorceress must have put on the walls to prevent you from escaping," Jason explained.

"But none of us can touch them," Ryo pointed out.

"None of you have supernatural powers so you can't touch the charms." Jason pointed to himself. "But _I_ can because I have supernatural powers. I can also remove them."

…

The Sorceress wasn't really enjoying the party. She wouldn't have come but Mason had asked her to be his partner during it. She hadn't ever gone to one of his parties but this time he had asked her to for some unknown reason. Mason wouldn't tell her what that reason was.

Neither Mason nor the Sorceress knew that the Ronin Warriors were escaping their prison until a man in a black suit came to Mason. The person went to the mercenary and leaned close to his ear. "The tracking devices of those 5 are outside of their area. They're quickly moving towards the edge of your estate," the man informed his boss.

Mason wasn't happy that his money-makers were leaving him. He turned to his employee. "Gather a search party," he told the man, "I want those teenagers found and brought back before the party ends."

The man bowed slightly. "I will form a search party to bring them back then." He left Mason's side.

Mason sought out the Sorceress. He had some news to tell her that he knew she wouldn't like. He found her standing off to the side of the room looking unhappy.

"Our boys are running away," he softly told her. He didn't use the word 'escaping' in case anyone was overhearing their conversation.

The Sorceress frowned. Mason's money-makers were escaping. "I will stop them from moving long enough for them to be found and brought back to their area."

Mason nodded to show that he understood. She left the ball room to find some place she could be without being disturbed. She didn't want any distractions while she was working.

There was a couch near the open ballroom door. The woman sat in the middle of it and closed her eyes. She tucked a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear and cast her mind out, looking for where the Sealing Marks were located. She found them halfway across the grounds.

Then she began her work.

Kento, Sage, Cye and Rowen froze.

RME: I know that the chapter is short compared to most of the others but I just _had_ to stop there.

The question becomes: will our boys find a way to move again or will they become prisoners once more?

Zorra Reed: Sorry about no replying with the last chapter. I agree: poor Ryo. If you want a good torture fic, read _The Test of Strength_ by RekkaKouyuu. It's my favorite. I've got it listed on my favorites if you want to read it.


	14. Hide and Seek

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

RME: its official, I'm no good at writing chase scenes…

 **Chapter 14**

 _Hide and Seek_

Mia was several steps ahead of her boys when she noticed that they weren't with her and Jason. She turned to find that Sage, Kento, Cye and Rowen had stopped running. It was as if they had frozen in mid-step. She didn't know if the same thing had happened to Ryo since Kento was carrying him in his arms.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Mia worriedly asked.

Rowen forced his jaw to move. "She stopped us from moving," he managed to say.

Mia felt icy fear run inside her. She knew that if they didn't start moving again, they'd be discovered and taken back to their prison.

"Jason, something's wrong with them!" Mia frantically called.

The sorcerer came back to the teenagers. He touched each of their Sealing Marks. Ryo and the others felt something being taken away from inside them.

"I've given you some time to get out of her reach before she can take control of your Sealing Marks again," Jason informed them. "But I wasn't able to give you all of the time that I wanted, though."

"Then we need to move faster," Sage told everyone.

"Then lets carry them as well," Rowen suggested.

Sage picked up Mia and Rowen picked up Jason.

"Ready?" Sage asked.

"Let's do this!" Kento responded.

Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye took off. They ran as fast as possible to get away from Mason's estate before people could find them. Everything was a blur as Mia had to hold her hair away from her face. Jason seemed to be enjoying himself though.

As they got close to the edge of the estate, thunder began. Jason looked at the sky in surprise. _There wasn't any clouds in the sky when we came here_ , Jason thought.

"Told you it was going to rain," Rowen stated as if he could read the sorcerer's mind.

The rain started out light but quickly began to be a downpour. Kento, Sage, Cye and Rowen quickly found that their visibility was becoming worse. It wasn't long before any of them could barely make out where they were going.

There were noises of people running behind them. Only the teenagers could hear their pursuers though. Sage and Rowen made sure that Mia and Jason stayed hidden in front of them as they ran.

"Their trackers are nearby!" A voice came from behind them.

Ryo fingered his tracking bracelet. The 5 Ronin Warriors remembered that Mason and the Sorceress had put tracking chips in their bracelets. _This isn't good_ , Ryo thought.

"Mia, Jason!" Cye yelled over the thunder, "Mason put tracking chips in our bracelets!"

Mia looked in Jason's general direction. "Can you do anything about it, Jason?" She yelled.

Jason shook his head before remembering that they couldn't see each other. "I can't do anything about it!" He yelled back. "They'll have to get out of range of the devices that those pursuers are most likely using!"

The Ronins reached the streets of the city. There weren't as many people outside as usual in the storm so the 4 running teenagers had an easier time running down the street.

"They're over there!" Someone yelled behind them.

Sage yelled "we need to lose them!"

"How do you suggest we do that?" Rowen yelled back.

"Turn here!" Sage loudly responded.

The teenagers turned down a side street. They continued running even as they heard the ones behind them tell each other that they had turned. They continued to silently run past many streets.

"Turn right!" Sage yelled.

Jason was about to protest that it was impossible to do so when he saw them jump _over_ the small street. He felt Rowen crouch as he landed before they took off again. He couldn't believe what the 4 of them had done. It was _impossible_ for a person to jump that high _and_ jump that far. _How were they able to do that?_ Jason wondered.

"Turn left!" Sage yelled.

They went down a side street. Jason noticed that people were staring at them as they ran past them. From the looks on their faces, none of them could make out the 4 teenagers running while carrying people in their arms.

"Over here!" Someone yelled behind them.

"Jump onto the roof!" Sage yelled.

"Wai-" Jason wasn't able to finish before the 4 jumped _onto_ the roofs high above them. He was silent as they easily jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The part that surprised him the most – if that was even _possible_ – was the fact that they could jump over the streets between the buildings. _No one's going to believe this if I tell them_ , Jason randomly thought.

They continued to silently jump across the city as the people pursuing them started to lag behind. They couldn't keep up when Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye weren't jumping in a straight line. The voices of Mason's people became softer the longer they were jumping between rooftops. When the 4 of them stopped, Rowen was the first to speak.

"Where are we going?" Strata asked.

"I've rented an apartment for you 7 to stay at until you can go back home," Jason responded.

The rain had almost stopped by now. The visibility was clear so Jason could clearly make out the city below them.

"I can lead you guys there if we go back to the ground," Jason told the other 6.

"Then let's go back to the streets," Ryo suggested.

Ryo's left hand and arm was cradling his injured right side. The pain from the wound was worse than before from all the running that Kento had been forced to do.

Kento, Sage, Rowen and Cye went to a deserted alley and jumped down. They put Mia and Jason down. The 7 of them left the alleyway with Jason in the lead. Mia was behind him with the other 4 walking behind them. Kento tried to not stand out with Ryo in his arms but the purple-haired teenager could tell that he was drawing people's attention. _At least Ryo's injured side is against me_ , Hardrock thought. Ryo's face was against his friend's chest as if he was tired. From the position that Ryo had put himself in, none of the people they past saw his pained look. It _hurt_ being jostled when his side was injured. He was just thankful that Jason and Mia hadn't rescued them right after the last time the Sorceress had taken him. He was pretty sure that he would have been making pained noises as Kento walked.

It took some time before Jason brought them to their apartment. Jason unlocked the front door and the others went in. He shut it behind himself as he went inside.

Yuli was waiting for them inside the empty living room. He ran to Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye. "You're back!" He exclaimed.

Kento gave him a goofy grin. "Yep!"

"But why are you carrying Ryo?" Yuli asked.

"Ryo's hurt, Yuli," Rowen answered.

Jason and Mia were talking near the front door.

"There are 3 bedrooms with enough beds for all of you," Jason explained.

"Where will you be going?" Mia asked.

"My job here is done so I will leave you guys now," he replied, "I've paid enough money for you guys to stay here for a couple of months if needed."

Mia held out her hand. "Thank you for helping me rescue them," she said.

Jason smiled. "You're welcome."

He opened the door. "Goodbye, everyone," he said before walking out of the apartment. That would be the last time that any of them saw him.

After the door was shut behind Jason, Mia got down to business.

"We'll put Ryo in one of the beds," she told everyone.

Kento, who had never put Wildfire down, followed his female friend into one of the bedrooms. There were 3 beds inside it. Ryo was put on the bed nearest the door. Sage went to cover his injured friend but Mia stopped him.

"I want to check that wound that Rowen mentioned," she told the blonde.

Sage placed the blanket on the bed beside Ryo's. At this point the black-haired teenager was asleep.

"Where is he injured?" Mia asked.

Sage pointed to Ryo's right side. Mia carefully moved Ryo's shirt up. She saw the white bandages that had been wrapped around Ryo's chest. She pulled down his shirt. She didn't want to remove the bandages if there was no blood on them.

"How long has it been since he got injured?" Mia asked.

"A week," Rowen answered.

Mia nodded. She smoothed Ryo's hair and covered him up.

"Then it'll be another week before he's healed," she informed them. _Thank goodness for their fast healing rate_ , she thought. "Let's leave him alone for now."

She and her other boys left the sleeping teenager and went back to the living room. They sat in a circle in the middle of the room. Mia's legs were to the side of her since she was still wearing her dress.

"What happened to you after you had been kidnapped?" Mia asked.

Sage and the other 3 told Mia about Mason and the Sorceress.

"Something called a Sealing Mark was put on our necks. It's impossible to wear our armor – even the subarmor – because of it," Rowen finished after they were done explaining.

"There has to be a way to remove it," Mia said.

"The Sorceress was the one who gave them to us," Sage told her.

"She must have used her supernatural power to put those on your necks."

"Is there any way to remove them without having to go to her?" Rowen asked.

"I don't know," Mia admitted, "I'll look into it after we return home. I'm sure that there is a way to remove them without having to return to her."

"I hope so," Kento said with a shudder. "After everything that's happened that's the last thing I want to do."

"What is with your bracelets though?" Mia asked.

Sage held his right wrist. "Mason and the Sorceress put a tracking chip inside them. They'll be able to find us as long as we're wearing them."

"Can they be taken off now that you're free?"

"There isn't a latch, Mia. Ryo wasn't even able to burn his off," Rowen answered.

"We'll have to have a jeweler take it off then," Mia decided.

The young woman stood. "I'm going to change back into my regular clothes," she told them. She grabbed some clothes from her suitcase and went to one of the empty bedrooms. She changed into them and then came out with her dress hanging over her arm. She carefully packed it into her suitcase then went to her boys.

"I want you guys to rest now," she informed them. "Yuli and I will go buy some food for us to eat while we're here while you're sleeping."

"How about one of us goes with you to help carry the food back?" Sage suggested.

Mia shook her head. "I don't want you to leave the apartment for now. Because of your tracking chips, I think it'd be better if you don't move around much until we can get them off." The brunette woman went to the bedroom where Ryo was sleeping. Yuli was lying on the bed next to Wildfire's. She went to the boy. "Yuli," she whispered. "Let's leave Ryo alone for now."

"But-" Yuli protested.

"Ryo needs to rest. I'd like you to go with me to the supermarket. I don't want the others coming because they need to rest." Mia didn't mention anything about the tracking chip that was in their bracelets – she didn't want the boy to worry.

Yuli got off the bed. He looked at Ryo then followed Mia out of the room. Mia noticed that her boys hadn't moved from where they had sat when they had been talking. "Get some rest," she reminded them. Mia and Yuli left the apartment without the teenagers giving her an answer.

After the young woman and boy left, the 4 teenagers went to check on their injured friend. Ryo hadn't moved from the position he had fallen asleep in. It was only logical as his right side was injured. Sage put his hand on his friend's forehead.

"He doesn't have a fever," he told the others.

"That's good," Rowen said.

"Let's go back to the living room to wait for Mia and Yuli," Cye suggested. "I don't know about you guys but I don't think I can sleep until they come back."

The other 3 followed the brunette out the door. Kento shut it and sat against a wall. Sage was standing with his back against another wall while Rowen was sitting against the opposite one with his left arm on his raised knee. Cye was sitting cross legged near Strata. They sat there as they waited for Mia and Yuli to return.

…

Mia and Yuli entered the supermarket with the young woman pushing a shopping cart. Yuli was walking beside Mia.

"Now remember, Yuli. We need to get enough food for Kento's big appetite," Mia reminded the boy.

"Okay," Yuli replied.

They went through the store filling up the cart. When it was completely full, Mia bought the groceries. After she paid for it they brought the bags home.

They walked inside the apartment only to find Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye waiting for them. She and Yuli put the bags on the counter. Then she went back to the living room and put her hands on her hips.

"I thought I told you guys to rest," she pointed out.

"We couldn't sleep until you got back," Cye explained for everyone.

"Well, we're back now. Get some sleep, guys."

Sage stood straight. "Come on," he told them.

Sage and Rowen went into the bedroom where Ryo was sleeping. Cye and Kento went to the second bedroom. They had left the last one for Mia and Yuli. When both doors had shut, Mia turned to the boy who had come into the living room after her.

"Let's put the groceries away," she told the boy. "I'll make dinner after they wake up."

"What about Ryo?" Yuli asked.

Mia shook her head. "Let's let him sleep."

…

Mason and the Sorceress were standing in Mason's rooms.

"How could they escape after you stopped them!?" Mason almost yelled at the woman.

"I already told you it's not _my_ fault!" The Sorceress almost yelled back.

"Then why are they gone!?"

"Mason, I already explained _five_ times! Something had happened after I had stopped them!"

"Then it's your fault!"

"If it's _anyone's_ fault then take the blame! It happened during your last _party_!"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"That has _everything_ to do with 'this'!"

"Why are you pointing fingers at me!?"

"Because you were stupid enough to keep throwing parties _here_ after kidnapping them!"

"Are you saying this is _my_ fault!"

"This _is_ your fault!"

"Then are you saying that you're _completely_ innocent! They still were able to leave after you had stopped them!"

"Don't keep using something that I had no control over!"

"Then what do we do!?"

"Do you think I know!? Los Angeles is a big city! Even with the tracking devices, it'll take _time_ to find them!"

"I want them back _now_! Isn't there anything you can do to speed it up!?"

"There's _nothing_ I can right now!"

"I want them back _now_! I can't keep using them to make money without having them!"

"If you're men had been more able, they would have been found _before_ they could somehow disappear!"

"How could they escape in the first place when you had promised they would never be able to!?"

"I'm _not_ the only one with supernatural powers, Mason! A person with supernatural powers must have helped them escape. That's the only way I could have lost my connection with the Ronin Warriors' Sealing Marks for _20 minutes_!"

"Why would someone of your own kind take away my money-makers!?"

"I don't know who would dare to go against me! I'm surprised they even had the courage to make an _attempt_ in the first place!"

"That isn't an excuse! You _failed_ your side of the contract!"

"YOU FOOL! Having a person with supernatural powers help them escape changes _everything_! All of us can interrupt another person's use of their powers!"

"Then what did that person _do_ to make it where they could escape!?"

"That person had _canceled_ my hold on them so they could still move after I forced them to stop!"

Mason stood there as he tried to get his breath back. The Sorceress did the same thing. Once they had done so, Mason returned to the conversation using a normal tone.

"I want them back," he told the Sorceress.

"I agree. You've been paying me well for my services," the Sorceress said in a normal tone.

Now that Mason's temper had calmed down, he was able to start thinking clearly again. "I have many contacts here in this city. I can use them to find the Ronin Warriors."

"Very well, then. I will wait for when they find them," the Sorceress told the mercenary.

…

Mia woke Ryo the next afternoon. He had been sleeping for 24 hours now and she wanted to get his bracelet off of his wrist as soon as possible. Once that happened it would be almost impossible for Mason and the Sorceress to find any of her boys.

"Are you sure you can walk right now?" Sage asked Ryo.

"I'll be fine as long as I'm careful," Ryo answered.

"I still don't like it," Rowen told them. "It'd be better if Kento at least carried him on his back."

"I'm not a 2 year old, Rowen," Ryo flatly told his friend. "I can walk on my own just fine."

"Why doesn't one of us walk on Ryo's right side? It'll protect it from people accidently touching it as they walk by."

"That's a good idea," Mia chimed in.

"Another one of us can walk on Ryo's left side," Kento suggested. "Then if Ryo needs help we've got another one of us to help him."

Ryo rolled his eyes. "Guys, I'm _fine_. It's been over a week since the Sorceress had injured me."

"It's been _8 days_ ," Cye reminded Ryo. "It's basically still one week after you got injured."

"He's got a point," Sage told Ryo. "Even though we heal much faster than normal, it still takes a while."

The blonde could just _picture_ Ryo folding his arms with a _huff_ like a child. "I'll be fine walking on my own," Ryo reiterated.

Kento smiled and carefully patted his back. "Sure you are, Ryo."

The black-haired teenager brushed his friend's hand off. "Look, if it will make you feel better I'll hold onto one of your arms while I'm walking."

"What do you say guys? Do we let him have what he wants?" Rowen asked the others.

Halo nodded. "He won't change his mind anyways," he reminded the others.

"Then let's go," Mia said by the door. "I looked up a jeweler near here to help us."

Everyone left the apartment. When they reached the streets, Rowen moved to Ryo's left side and Kento went to his right. The black-haired teenager put his arm around Kento's own. They walked down the street with Mia leading them. Ryo's left hand was holding his injured side as he walked. He wasn't about to tell anyone but it _hurt_ walking right now. The only thing that was keeping him on his feet was his stubbornness. He was _not_ going to ask for help no matter what.

Rowen noticed Ryo's left hand holding Wildfire's injured side. He was about to point it out when Ryo gave him the _don't you dare_ glare. Strata decided that since it wasn't harming anything, he would just it go.

An automatic door opened when they came to the place. Mia went in first then Ryo and his 'escort' followed. The others filed in after them.

Mia walked to the counter where an old man was waiting for them.

"Hello," she said. "My friends have some bracelets that they would like removed. We can't seem to get them off ourselves."

The jeweler nodded. He moved to another spot behind the counter. He took out the tools needed to do as the young woman had requested.

Ryo tried to not react to the sharp object on the counter. _It's okay. She isn't here to hurt me with it_ , he tried to convince himself.

Rowen saw Ryo's small reaction when the jeweler had taken out his tools. _What is going through Ryo's head?_ Rowen wondered. His friend had never seemed _afraid_ of normal objects. _Is it because of what the Sorceress had done to him at Mason's estate?_ He could see that Ryo's hold of his right side was tighter.

"Which will be first?" The old man asked.

Rowen decided that the best thing was for Ryo to watch Strata's bracelet being taken off. He whispered to Kento his idea and Hardrock nodded. The purple-haired teenager led Ryo to a spot where he could watch Rowen's bracelet be cut off. Strata went to the counter.

"I'll be first," the blue-haired teenager said.

Rowen put his arm on the counter in front of him. The jeweler took the tool and placed it on Rowen's bracelet.

Nothing happened.

Mia felt her heart drop. She didn't know what to do now. If the bracelets could not be removed than Mason would have an easier time finding her boys. She knew that Ryo and the other teenagers were also thinking the same thing. She was pretty sure Yuli didn't know the full extent of the consequences this would bring.

The old man removed the tool from the bracelet and fingered the metal. "Who ever made this bracelet used a metal that I can't cut through."

Mia mentally shook herself out of her thoughts. She forced a smile on her face and thanked the man for his help. She left with the others following her. Everyone was silent on the way back to their temporary apartment. When they reached it, everyone sat on the floor. Ryo took the longest because he was careful of his injured side. He didn't want to aggravate it more than it had been from walking.

"I guess the bracelets won't come off as easily as we had thought," Mia said once everyone was seated in a circle in the middle of the empty living room.

"What are we going to do now since they can't be removed?" Ryo asked.

"I'll do some research for a way to take them off," Mia answered.

"Will that work?" Rowen asked. "How can we take them off when the jeweler couldn't cut through the metal it's made of?"

"It's never impossible to remove something, Rowen," Mia reminded Strata. "There has to be a way to take them off. I'll find the way to do so."

Ryo smiled at Mia. He had faith in her. She had never let them down before. He _knew_ she'd eventually find a way. The only question was if Mia could find it before Mason and the Sorceress found the Ronin Warriors.

"But what will we do now, Mia?" Yuli asked from beside her.

"We'll have to wait for Ryo's side to heal before going back home. Since it's already been a week-" _8 days_ Ryo silently corrected her. "-Ryo should be completely healed a week from now."

"What will Ryo and the others do now though?"

Mia looked around the circle. "They won't be able to leave the apartment until we go home," she answered.

"Hey! Wait a minute-" Kento began to protest.

Sage dug his elbow into Hardrock's side. "It's too risky for us to go outside right now."

"Sage is right, Kento," Ryo told the purple-haired teenager, "it'll be easier to find us if we walk around the city."

"Yuli and I will get the things we need while we're here," Mia decided. She frowned when saw her boys' reaction. "Relax," she commanded, "nothing will happen to us if we leave this apartment."

They sat and talked as outside began to grow dark. When it was finally night time, Mia left the others to cook dinner. She brought it to the living room and everyone ate where they sat. After dinner, Sage and Rowen helped Mia clean up while Ryo went back to bed. That night the sleeping arrangements were the same as before.

The next week was spent with the teenagers never leaving the apartment while Ryo healed. Mia and Yuli only left when it was necessary. It eventually came time to buy the plane tickets to go back home. Mia took Yuli with her while the teenagers stayed inside.

Then the day came for their flight back home.

…

The Ronin Warriors, Mia and Yuli arrived at the airport 2 hours before their plane took off. As they walked through the airport, Mia quickly noticed that her boys were edgy.

"Relax," she whispered. "Don't draw attention to us. We want to leave here without catching someone's attention."

Ryo tried to force his body to obey Mia's words. It wouldn't have been so bad if the fear that Mason and the Sorceress being there wasn't so overwhelming. He didn't have to ask the others; he could tell that they were feeling the same way. He tried to stop turning his head as he walked through the airport but found that his eyes were roaming the place instead. _Have they really impacted me so much?_ Ryo asked himself. He hadn't been _with_ them for long, right? So why was he so afraid they had already found him and his friends?

They reached their gate eventually. They waited in the seats for their plane to arrive. Ryo felt his attention being strained from being so vigilant. He swore he felt eyes watching him but when he looked he couldn't find the person watching him. _I'm getting paranoid_ , he decided, _that's all this is_.

…

A man was watching a black-haired teenager and his friends. Mason had given him the description of his prisoners earlier and had promised to pay anyone who could give him information.

Mason's prisoners stood when the plane came. The man who was watching them waited until they had boarded the plane before walking away. He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed a specific number. He waited impatiently for the other end to answer.

" _Hello?_ "

"It's me," the man said with excitement. "I found them at the airport. They're heading to Japan."

RME: I'm pretty sure that some of you are thinking "what the _heck_ is wrong with Ryo!?" right now. It probably seems stupid but after being cut 3 times by one person, I'm pretty sure anyone would have reacted like that.

Zorra Reed: I feel so special right now. You are the first to give me a long review. I even asked my sister if she's ever gotten a review that was long and she told me she hadn't. The funny part to this is that she's been posting stories on this sight for years while I've only started recently. The question about the length of time I had purposely left to the readers' imagination but I will say that it's been some time since Ryo had been kidnapped. I'm one of those writers who like leaving some things up to the readers' imagination. In an earlier chapter I had mentioned that Ryo didn't have much to do in his prison – it's basically a gilded cage with nothing to do. By the way, Ryo is also my favorite character; you can tell because I only pick on my favorite characters. I'm happy to say that the story hasn't come close to ending yet so you won't have to wait for a sequel. I wouldn't mind if you ran with your ideas. All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due. To tell you the truth, I was happy that you asked. In my opinion the best complement that a writer is given is when another asks to write a story based on theirs. Wow…I think that was the longest reply I've ever given.


	15. Back to Normality

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

RME: for those of you who aren't happy with the soccer game in this chapter, you have to understand that I do not know how the game is played. I'm not a sportsy person so I don't want to attempt to write one. Like the saying goes 'you write what you know'…

 **Chapter 15**

 _Back to Normality_

Mason thanked his contact for the information. The man on the other end gave the mercenary the rest of what he would need to find the Ronin Warriors. Mason hung up and went to the Sorceress. He found her sitting on the couch in her rooms. He walked inside and sat on the other end.

"They've been found," he told her.

"Those boys?" The woman asked.

Mason nodded. "They went to Japan; seems they went home."

"How do you know they live in Japan?" She asked.

Mason smiled. "I have ways to find what I'm looking for."

The Sorceress tucked a piece of her auburn hair behind her ear.

"We should start packing then," she said, "we'll have to go to Japan to get them back."

"I agree on wanting them back. After all the money I have made from using just Ryo alone, I'm not going to let them leave me."

"Will we take anything else besides our own things?" The Sorceress asked.

"I'm going to bring a tracking device," Mason replied. "It'll help us find those boys so we can take them back."

"Very well; I will begin packing now," the woman decided.

Mason stood. "We'll head for Japan once we're ready to go."

The mercenary left the woman and went to his own rooms. He also began packing his own things. Once he had finished, he went to the security room and grabbed one of the many trackers he had made before he had kidnapped Ryo.

…

The 5 Ronin Warriors finally relaxed after leaving the airplane. They were finally home again after so long. They followed Mia and Yuli to the baggage claim. As they walked Ryo couldn't help but notice all the attention that he and the other teenagers were attracting. _They must be looking at our Sealing Marks_ , he thought. He bent to take his luggage when a little girl attracted his attention.

"Mister, why do your arms look funny?" She asked. She pointed to his arm that was closest to her.

Ryo _panicked_. He had forgotten about his scars from the Sorceress. He tried to think of a way to explain why that wouldn't bring more questions. He finally decided on the generic answer. "I got hurt a long time ago," he explained.

"Can I touch one?" The little girl asked.

"Alice!" A woman exclaimed as she ran to the little girl. She took the little one's hand. "I'm sorry. Alice has always been a curious one."

Ryo smiled at her. "It's okay," he replied.

The woman smiled back and walked away still holding the little girl's hand.

 _I've got to keep those scars covered up_ , Ryo thought as he went to grab his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and went to where Mia and the others were waiting.

"What happened earlier?" Rowen asked.

"You mean with the little girl?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah," Strata replied. "She seemed awfully interested in your arm."

Ryo looked at his left arm. "It's the scars from…." He found he couldn't finish his sentence. After finally being able to get away from the Sorceress, the reality of what she had done had finally been processed. While Ryo had been at Mason's estate, the fear of her coming back for him _alone_ had stopped it from happening until now.

Kento patted his back. "It's okay, buddy," he told the black-haired teenager. "We know what you're meaning."

"We need to get going," Mia said as she looked at her watch. "This isn't Toyama so it'll take time for us to get home."

"It won't take _that_ long, Mia," Kento corrected her. "This city is close to it."

"It'll still take time, Kento," Sage reminded Hardrock.

Mia led her boys and Yuli out of the airport. They were silent until they got to the light rail. After all had been seated, Mia began to talk.

"I know that we'll all go home after arriving back in Toyama," she said as she looked at everyone. "Mason and the Sorceress will probably come here looking for you." She looked at the Ronin Warriors specifically this time. "I want you to promise to come to my place if they ever find you. It'll be easier to protect one another if that happens."

"What about me?" Yuli asked as he pointed to himself in the seat beside Ryo.

Ryo ruffled the boy's hair. "You'll be fine," he promised. "You weren't with Mia and Jason at the party."

"Promise me," she repeated.

"I promise," the 5 teenagers chorused.

"Will you be okay alone, Mia?" Ryo asked. "You and Jason _were_ the ones who came for us."

Mia shook her head. "I doubt anything will happen," she answered. "They'll only go after you, Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye because they will want _you guys_ back."

"Hey, hey, no worries," Kento said with a shrug. "She doesn't have anything that they want. We _do_."

"You can't wear your armors, Kento," Mia reminded him. "You're more vulnerable right now."

"We've also got our bracelets," Sage added as he held his right wrist up. "They'll have an easier time finding us because of them. None of us can turn off the tracking chip inside so it will always broadcast where we are."

Mia looked at Ryo's Sealing Mark around the base of his neck. Even from sitting in the seat across from him she could clearly see it. "I think you should never let anyone see your Sealing Marks," Mia told them. Ryo's fingers touched his. "It will raise questions because it looks like a tattoo. You might stand out if people see them."

As Ryo's arm returned to his lap, his eyes caught the scars from the needles that the Sorceress had used on him. The memory of that little girl and her question came into his mind. _Why do your arms look funny_ , she had said. For the first time he finally realized just how noticeable the scars really _were_. With them being in two columns going down his arm, it looked unnatural. It didn't also help that they were perfect circles that were semi-dark and indented. He thought of his other scars. _People will ask what happened if they saw them_ , he realized. He would have to cover all of the scars he had obtained while in America. He didn't want anyone to know anything had happened while he and the others had been gone. _But the scars are on my arms, sides and left leg. They won't be easy to hide_.

They spent the rest of the trip home talking about things that were related to Mason and the Sorceress. When they finally arrived at their city, they separated to go home.

…

It had been 2 months since Ryo and the others had returned home. Mason and the Sorceress were still looking for the Ronin Warriors while the teenagers attended the same high school. They kept together so they could better protect themselves but kept everyone else at arm's length. They didn't want to involve anyone in their problem. Everything was fine – well, as fine as one could get hiding from someone – until Ryo caught a girl's interest.

"Ryo?" A brunette girl asked from Wildfire's side.

Ryo saw that the girl was younger than him. "Yes?"

She blushed and looked down at her feet. "U-um…I was…I was wondering if y-you'd like to go on a date?"

Kento wickedly smiled. _This is going to be fun_ , he thought.

 _What will Ryo do?_ Cye thought. _Mason and the Sorceress are most likely looking for us. She shouldn't get involved in this_.

Ryo gave the girl a dazzling smile. "I'm sorry," he politely said, "but I don't feel like dating right now."

The girl's face went red. "Oh…," she whispered. She backed a couple of steps. Sage saw the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I'm sorry for bothering you." She almost ran as she fled from Ryo and his friends.

"Did you have to say it like that?" Cye asked from beside the black-haired teenager.

"You could have been gentler when you turned her down," Rowen pointed out.

"What was I supposed to say, Rowen? _'I'm being chased by a maniac and a crazy woman right now and I don't want you to get involved'_? That would sound crazy to _anyone_ here. Besides, it's not like I dislike or even like her anyway."

Sage shook his head. "You shouldn't say that where people can hear you," he said as he looked around themselves. "They will try to do something about it."

"And we don't want to involve anyone," Kento reminded the others.

"I know, guys, I _know_ ," Ryo told them.

The bell rang. The 5 of them split to go to their next class. When school finally ended, they waited by the front doors of the school for each other. Once they all had grouped together, they began walking home.

"Don't forget I have a soccer game today," Ryo said as he walked beside Sage.

"What are you going to do about…you know," Kento asked.

Ryo looked at his cloth-covered arm. Ever since he had arrived home all he had worn were jeans and long sleeved shirts. It was the only way to hide the scars without attracting too much attention. "I got some tight long sleeve shirts and pants to go under my PE clothes," he answered. "I'm going to wear them during the game."

"You know you'll get very hot, Ryo," Rowen pointed out. "It's only _starting_ to cool down now."

Ryo gave him the same dazzling smile that he had given the girl earlier. "I'll be fine," he told his blue-haired friend. "I won't feel hot so it won't impede me."

Sage shook his head. "That's not what Rowen meant, Ryo," he said as he looked at Wildfire. "You might get a heatstroke."

This time even Kento was the same. "Ryo, if you faint people will see your scars while trying to help you."

"There's not much I can do, guys," Ryo reminded them. "They're very noticeable, and on my arms and left leg. At least my sides are easy to always keep covered."

They continued to talk until each split to go home. Ryo lived outside of the city so Sage and he continued to walk until they reached Sage's house. Ryo went home keeping an eye on his surroundings for any sign of Mason and the Sorceress. Even though it had been 2 months since he had returned home, the paranoia that they had found him still wouldn't go away. At this point he didn't think it ever would. When he arrived home, he walked inside and locked the door. His parents wouldn't be home for several more hours. Once they were heading home, Ryo would unlock the door.

…

Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye met up in front of the school. They went to the bleachers and found a spot on the crowded benches where all 4 could sit together. Kento almost immediately pulled out some candy.

"You brought food?" Rowen asked.

Kento grinned while he finished chewing. "Can't watch a soccer game without something to eat," he replied once his mouth was empty.

"That's only in professional games," Cye reminded the purple-haired teenager.

"Can't a guy bring something to eat even if it's only a high school soccer game?"

Sage softly laughed at the face that Kento was making. "If Kento wants to eat while Ryo plays, then might as well let him. You know better than to try to stop him."

"Do you have anything more besides what you are eating?" Cye asked.

"You want some?" Kento asked.

"Would be nice," Cye replied.

Kento pulled out more candy and some chocolate bars from his pocket. From the sheer amount that was on his lap once he had finished left his friends wondering just _how_ he had gotten the food in the bleachers with him without anyone noticing or the chocolate melting. _Does he have_ icepacks _in his pockets?_ Cye wondered as he took a Milky Way. He was still eating it when the game started.

Sage and the others watched as Ryo's team pulled far ahead of the other. Kento continued eating even as he cheered for Ryo along with his friends. By the time the game was finished Hardrock had finished the large stash of junk food on his lap. The people in the stand cheered for Ryo's team winning.

Rowen, Sage, Cye and Kento waited for Ryo to come out of the locker room. When the black-haired teenager joined them they left the school. Ryo's parents were a little ways behind them to give them some privacy.

Kento slung his arm around his friend's shoulders. "That was great, man!"

Ryo smiled. "Thanks," he said from his position of slightly being bent over.

The teenagers walked to the parking lot. The parents of everyone but Ryo were already there. Sage and the others left Ryo to return home. Ryo went to his parents' car and waited for his own.

His dad congratulated his son as he drove his family home. His mom was telling Wildfire what she thought of the game.

…

Ryo had a nightmare one night.

 _The Sorceress was going through the objects on her table as if searching for something. What, Ryo didn't know and he didn't even know if he_ wanted _to know. After being brought here for so many times, he knew what she was about to do. He remembered the pain from all the times before._

 _The chains on his wrists that held him still rattled as he waited. He wanted to close his eyes and, yet at the same time, didn't want to._

Please let this be over without any pain _, Ryo pleaded to anyone who might be listening. It had always come down to feeling pain from whatever she was doing. There hadn't been a time that_ hadn't _been painful._

 _He watched her get out a wooden box from a drawer he couldn't see. She set it on the table and opened it. Ryo couldn't see what was inside as she moved her hand across as if to select one. She picked one up that was a large syringe. Ryo cringed at the sight of it. When the Sorceress muttered something and returned it to the box, Ryo relaxed. He almost immediately tensed when she pulled out another that was smaller than the first. Her finger lightly brushed the actual needle as if she was testing something. She shook her head and put it back. Ryo had a feeling that the next one would be a syringe again. She took out another that was bigger than the last but smaller than the first. Her finger once again lightly brushed the actual needle. She whispered something then shut the box._

 _"I need another place to try again," Ryo heard the Sorceress mutter as she gathered the liquids. "His body won't be able to handle it if I use his arms again."_

 _Ryo wanted to move away when she came to him with the needle and a bowl of mixed liquids he didn't know. She sat the bowl down and put some of the liquid in the syringe. Ryo felt himself move so that his left leg was in front of her. She pulled up the pant leg of his jeans and gave the first shot on the outside of the leg right underneath his knee._

 _Ryo tried not to scream as he felt the fire entering his bloodstream. Pulling out the needle was more painful than when she had put it in his leg. Wildfire had to bite his lip when the needle went in a second time. This one burned more than the first. Each time the Sorceress gave his leg a shot the burning sensation became worse. By the time she had started on the second column, Ryo was shaking from the pain._

 _Ryo wanted to pass out before she had reached the middle of his calf. It_ hurt _so bad that he wanted to go unconscious so he wouldn't have to feel the burning liquid go inside his bloodstream._

 _It seemed like it took her forever to finish the second column of shots before she finally stopped. She put the syringe and mostly-empty bowl on one of the tables in her lab. She stood before the black-haired teenager. Ryo felt her trying to grab the Inferno inside him. He wanted to hold his sides to alleviate the slight pain he was feeling from the force of her supernatural powers as she tried to grab hold of the one armor whose soul wasn't inside him. All he could do was wait for her attempt to fail once again._

 _When she finally gave up Ryo could tell that she wasn't happy again that her attempt had failed. She went to the door and called for one of Mason's men._

 _"Take him back to his prison," she ordered. The man went to Ryo and the shackles fell off his wrists. Wildfire was hauled to his feet and forced to walk out of the Sorceress' lab. The woman didn't even watch as the teenager left._

 _Ryo limped down the hall with Mason's man holding onto his arm. He tried his best to keep as much of his weight off his injured leg as possible. The fire always reared its ugly head with each step he took. When he finally reached the prison gate, all he wanted to do was get his weight off his left leg to help die down the pain. He waited for the gate to open then walked inside. His right shoulder went against the wall to help lessen the pain that was shooting inside it._

 _He knew that his friends had seen him come back. As far as he knew, they had always been waiting at the gate for him to come back. When they reached him, he carefully pulled up his jeans' pant leg. He saw the look that each had when they saw the 2 columns of inflamed needle marks._

 _"My leg's sore," he explained as he pulled his pant leg down._

 _"Why was it your leg this time, Ryo?" Cye asked._

 _"The Sorceress was muttering something about needing a new place because my arms can't handle the needles again."_

 _Rowen came closer to the black-haired teenager. "Let's get you off that leg," Strata suggested._

 _"Bed or chair?" Sage asked._

 _"Bed," Rowen answered._

 _The blue-haired teenager helped Ryo walk to their bedroom. Wildfire tried his best to put as little weight on his left leg as possible. When they reached his bed, Ryo couldn't wait to lie down. He wanted to stop putting weight on his injured leg as soon as possible._

 _"I don't want the blanket to go over my left leg," Ryo told them once he had sat on his bed. "The blanket makes them hurt worse."_

 _Wildfire knew that he didn't have to tell them what he was talking about. He could see it in their eyes. He sat on his bed and pulled up his pant leg again. He got his leg as comfortable as possible and lay down. Rowen and Sage helped Ryo cover up so that only Ryo's bare left leg would be exposed. The cool air felt good on his burning limb._

 _"Get some sleep," Rowen told Wildfire._

 _Ryo nodded and closed his eyes. He heard his friends leave the room and shut the door. He wasn't awake much longer before sleep claimed him._

…

Ryo woke with pain in his left leg. He looked around the room expecting to see his friends sleeping in the other beds but found himself alone. He shot up in bed and frantically looked around. _Where are they_ , he desperately thought.

The realization he was safe and in his own room slowly came. When it finally broke through the hazy thoughts, Ryo felt himself relax. _It's over_ , he reminded himself as he flopped back onto his pillow. _I'm safe now. She can't harm me anymore_ , he told himself.

 _You aren't free from her yet_ , a voice nagged inside his head.

Ryo rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. It was childish, he knew, and wouldn't stop the Sorceress from finding him but for that one moment, the safety he felt as a child washed over him.

 _It's okay_ , he told himself as he lay there. _She won't find me again_.

He closed his eyes. It took a long time for his heart to stop pounding so he could go back to sleep again.

…

Mason and the Sorceress were staying in a hotel close to the airport that both they and their prisoners had flown into. They had been looking for the Ronin Warriors for the past 2 and a half months but could not find any trace of them. It was as if they had disappeared after returning to Japan.

"Why did we not learn those boys' last names?" The Sorceress asked over dinner one night.

Mason paused in cutting his steak to look at his companion. He raised an eyebrow. "Did you think we needed to back then?" He asked. The woman shook her head and took a drink of her water. "I didn't think this would ever happen so I never bothered," he told her.

"Are you worried we won't find them?" The Sorceress asked as she sat her glass down.

Mason shook his head. "I'm not worried," he replied as he brought a piece of steak to his mouth. He paused as if something had come to him. "Are you worried?" He put the food in his mouth.

"Not really," the Sorceress replied as she grabbed some mashed potatoes. "They have those bracelets that they cannot take off or turn the tracker inside off. And they also have the Sealing Marks; I can still feel them on the boys."

Mason raised an eyebrow. "Can you use that to find them?" He asked.

The woman shook her head. "I can only feel if they are wearing them; it doesn't give me anything besides that."

"If they still have them then it is impossible for them to stop us from kidnapping them again. They are defenseless without their armors and those boys cannot wear them right now."

The Sorceress bowed her head to show that she agreed. Because it was _her_ that gave them the ability to wear those armors of theirs, those boys couldn't wear them unless _she_ wanted them to.

"I also have one of the many tracker devices that I had made before we kidnapped Ryo. With those conditions, it's only a matter of time before we take them back."

Mason ordered a piece of cheesecake for each of them. As they waited, they continued their conversation.

"We have spent almost 3 months looking for them in this city," the Sorceress pointed out. "I am beginning to think that they may not be in this city."

"Are you saying that we should leave and look around the _entire_ country?" Mason asked in disbelief.

"I'm saying that we should widen the area we are looking in. We have already combed every street here. If they were here, we would have found them by now."

"How far do you think must we go before we find them?"

The Sorceress had to think of the answer as the cheesecake came. A nice sized piece was set before each of them. After the waiter left, the woman answered the question.

"Since they flew here, they must live in one of the many cities around here," she explained. "If we looked in each of those cities, I'm sure we'll eventually find them."

Mason took a piece of cheesecake with his fork. "That is a logical conclusion," he said as he brought his fork to his mouth. "There aren't any more airports near here. If they didn't live in one of these cities, they would not fly to _this_ one."

"Will we move on to another city tomorrow?"

"Yes. It's too late to leave tonight."

The Sorceress took a bite of cheesecake.

…

Ryo's cell rang before his alarm clock went off. The black-haired teenager rolled onto his other side and grabbed his phone. He saw Rowen's name on the screen before he answered.

"Rowen?" Ryo asked.

" _Wear a sweater to school today. It's going to be colder than yesterday_ ," Rowen said on the other end of the phone call.

Ryo yawned and looked at his clock. "You're up early," the teenager commented.

" _Had to do something this morning before school_."

Wildfire's free hand rubbed his eye. "How heavy of a sweater should I wear?"

" _It's going to be much colder today so wear one that isn't thin_."

"Is that all?" Ryo asked. He really wanted to go back to sleep. Waking up before 6:30 wasn't his idea of fun.

" _Yeah. See you at school_."

Ryo hit the end button and put his phone back on his nightstand. He rolled over and closed his eyes. His alarm clock rang a while after Wildfire had fallen asleep.

The black-haired teenager got ready for school half-asleep. He grabbed a semi-thick sweater from his closet and put it on. He took his backpack and headed to school. He met Sage a little after he had started walking. Each of the Ronin Warriors joined Ryo as he headed for school. By the time they reached the building, school was about to start soon. They headed to their separate classrooms.

At lunchtime, Ryo met the others under a tree outside like usual.

"You're late," Kento remarked.

"Sorry," Ryo apologized, "teacher wanted to talk to me after class."

Ryo sat next to Kento who had taken out 2 lunchboxes. Ryo grabbed his own from his backpack and opened it. He grabbed a sandwich as he noticed that Kento was already on his second one.

"How is everything going so far?" Ryo asked. "Did any of you see Mason or her?"

Cye shook his head. He had been on the look-out for any sign but so far he had seen _nothing_.

Kento swallowed. "So far I haven't seen any _sign_ of those 2."

"I haven't noticed anything different so far," Rowen replied across from Ryo in their circle.

"Hasn't it been over 3 months since we came back?" Sage asked.

All 5 of them had decided to never say anything about being kidnapped or having to be rescued at school. They were almost paranoid that someone would hear them talk about those things and call the authorities. They didn't want to get _anyone_ involved in their problem so they had just decided to use words that wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"Has Mia called any of you recently?" Sage asked.

Cye shook his head. "It's been a while."

"Think she found anything yet?" Kento asked.

Rowen shrugged. "Don't know," he replied. "If she did I think she would have called us by now."'

"Is she still asking how you are doing when she calls?" Ryo asked.

"Every time," Kento replied. He balled up the empty bag and grabbed another.

"I told her about your recent soccer game," Cye told Ryo. "She wanted me to say 'congratulations' to you."

Ryo smiled when he heard the brunette's words. "You are still telling her the truth when she asks how we're doing, right?"

"Every time," Cye answered.

"We promised her after all," Rowen reminded the black-haired teenager.

"What about everyone else?" Ryo asked.

"Still am," Kento answered.

"I'm still telling her the truth," Sage answered.

"I've never lied about how I'm been doing," Rowen answered.

Ryo's mind went back to his recent nightmare. "Have any of you ever dreamed of when we were at Mason's?"

"Sometimes," Cye replied.

"It's hard to forget the… _things_ …that we had done while there," Sage answered.

"It's been a while," Kento answered.

"I haven't had any dreams about that time for a little bit," Rowen replied. "Why are you asking, Ryo?"

Ryo tried not to shiver at the memory of his nightmare. "I had a nightmare about one of the times that she…you know…." The black-haired teenager couldn't make himself say anything about what she had done to him. It had been like this since he had come home.

Sage, thankfully, knew what his friend couldn't make himself say. "Which one?" He gently asked.

Ryo pointed at his left leg. The sight of those 2 columns of inflamed needle marks came back to the other 4 teenagers' minds. Kento cringed at the memory. Cye had to suppress the shudder and Rowen tried to show no reaction. Sage just closed his eyes.

Sage decided that it was time to change the subject.

"Do any of you remember that I have a kendo tournament Sunday?" Sage asked.

"On _Sunday_?" Kento asked in disbelief.

"They usually are," the blonde reminded him.

"We'll be there," Ryo promised. "Right?"

Cye, Kento and Rowen nodded.

The bell rang and the 5 of them grabbed their things. They walked back into the school building together for their next class.

…

Ryo, Rowen, Kento and Cye were sitting in the seats that were to the side of the room. Like at Ryo's soccer game, Kento had brought 'snacks' to eat while watching.

Rowen checked his watch again. "The tournament should start soon," he said as he put his arm back on his lap.

Rowen could see that Ryo was tensed as he sat beside Strata. Rowen leaned over to his friend and whispered "are you okay?"

Wildfire nodded. "Yeah," he whispered back, "just thinking about what she had made us do while we were at Mason's."

Rowen knew that the 'she' that Ryo had referred to was the Sorceress. He knew that the black-haired teenager was trying to seem as if it wasn't a big deal but Strata had to wonder. Ryo had been forced to fight _five_ times while Rowen and the others had only done _two_ of them. _What is he thinking about? Is he having a memory of one of those times going through his mind?_

"Remember, Ryo: we're free now," Rowen whispered to Wildfire.

Ryo nodded. _It's been over 3 months since Mia and Jason had rescued us_ , he reminded himself. _There is nothing to worry about_.

 _Yes, there is_ , that nagging voice said.

Wildfire knew that it was right. Ryo and the others still had their Sealing Marks and tracking bracelets. It wouldn't end until they both were removed. The threat of Mason and the Sorceress finding them was as real right now as it had been the day they had escaped from Mason's estate.

Ryo's fingers went to the piece of cloth he had tied around his neck. He had been wearing it over his Sealing Mark almost non-stop since he had put it on the day he had arrived home. He knew that the others had done the same because he could see the green, orange, light blue and dark blue cloths around their necks. Even his matched the color of his armor. _Is that coincidence?_ Ryo thought.

Ryo's mind became distracted when Sage and the other competitors walked out onto the floor. Wildfire quickly saw that the blonde was holding the weapon in his hand like he did Halo's sword. _He makes it look so natural compared to the others_. He knew that most everyone in the room thought the same thing. With the way Sage was dressed and the way he held the 'weapon' it seemed as if he was a samurai from long ago. Ryo, himself, was impressed. Sage had actually fought with a real sword for many years and, since the black-haired teenager knew this, he could see the grace that a real swordsman had in his blonde friend.

There were whispers of how 'hot that blonde guy looked'. Ryo knew that they were talking about Sage. It seemed as if every girl around him and his friends were thinking that the blonde 'looked hot standing there looking like a samurai'. _If only they knew_ , Wildfire thought with amusement.

Ryo's attention was fixed on the first duel. He watched as if in a daze as one defeated the other. He stayed like that until it was time for Sage's. When the blonde went to the center of the floor to face his opponent, Ryo couldn't help but overlay himself and one of the many people with swords he had been forced to fight in America. Sage looked like he had fought with a real sword. The black-haired teenager knew that his friend's opponent thought the same by his reaction when Sage stood in front of him.

It didn't take long for Halo to win his duel. In the entire tournament, the blonde was the only one who always beat his opponent the fastest. Sage was the one who won the tournament. The girls around Ryo, Cye, Rowen and Kento became frenzied as they cheered for Sage.

 _It's always like this_ , Kento thought. _It's as if Sage has his own personal fan club when it comes to kendo_.

Sage was waiting for Ryo and the others by the time the 4 were able to leave the room. He was surrounded by girls who were trying to talk to him. The blonde disentangled himself from the group and joined the others. He walked beside Rowen as they headed outside.

"Congratulations, champion," Kento said as he playfully punched Halo's shoulder. "How many have you won now?"

Sage shrugged. "Don't remember. I don't keep track of that."

They walked outside to see that their parents were already waiting for them. They split up and went to the adults waiting for them.

…

Ryo had a nightmare that night.

 _There were sounds of swords clashing against swords. Ryo was in his armor in a stadium full of people watching the kendo tournament. His opponent, however, was only wearing the uniform for the tournament fighting with a real sword._

 _There were cheers every time Wildfire blocked the other's attack. Yet, each time he was able to strike his opponent, there was only silence as if the world had gone completely mute._

 _Ryo felt the burning around his neck and the female voice telling him to fight. That voice sounded familiar but he couldn't remember where he had heard it. The black-haired teenager pushed aside that feeling as he continued to fight. When he beat his opponent, there weren't any cheers._

Why aren't people cheering for me? _Ryo thought as he waited for his next._

 _Another person wearing the same uniform came to him as he stood in the middle of the arena. Ryo bowed like always but the other didn't. There were no words before the duel started. Wildfire found that his opponent wasn't as easy to fight as the last one. It was almost as if he was fighting against himself. He blocked and attacked but could never seem to strike his opponent._

 _The female voice was more insistent as the duel went one._ Fight _, she said,_ fight and destroy him _. Ryo felt the need to destroy suddenly._

 _"No," he begged anyone who could hear him, "please don't let it happen again."_

 _His opponent was finally knocked down and Ryo stood over him with one of his swords aimed at his neck. He stood there as if frozen in time until the announcer said that he was the winner. The black-haired teenager took the sword away from the man's neck and moved back a few steps. His opponent stood up._

 _"Wow," the man said as he shook Ryo's hand. "That was amazing. Where did you learn to fight like that?"_

 _Ryo felt himself smile. "I've fought tough battles over the years," he explained._

 _"And you won each one?"_

 _"Yeah," Ryo answered, "killed them and all."_

 _"That's amazing," the man repeated._

 _The man was replaced by a young man with dead eyes. This time there was no helmet to protect his head._ What is going on? _Ryo asked. He was confused. He had never fought a kendo duel without his opponent wearing one._

 _"Murderer," the young man said as he got ready to fight._

 _Ryo found he couldn't move. The female voice inside his mind was silent. He swore he could_ feel _the anticipation that she was having._

 _Wildfire took a stance with his swords crossed. This time it was as if his body was automatically moving, as if it had gone onto autopilot. He just stood there waiting as they young man just stared at him._

 _"Why did you kill me?" The young man asked. "I did nothing but hide."_

 _Ryo found he couldn't speak. He wanted to apologize for what he had done but it was as if his mouth was frozen._

 _The young man finally attacked him. The duel seemed to go in a blur as the black-haired teenager attacked. It was different this time. It was almost as if he was fighting a_ real _fight, not a duel in a kendo tournament._

 _Time slowed down as Ryo's right sword went for the young man's throat. The dead eyes that had been staring accusingly at him regained life. His sword went inside his opponent's throat and the young man fell at his feet. Ryo stood over him as the other died with those same pained eyes from before._

 _"Murderer," a voice whispered. "You killed him again…."_

…

Ryo almost screamed when he woke up. He shot up in bed with his eyes open and tried to stop the uncontrollable shaking of his body. He felt hot tears begin to well up in his eyes. The black-haired teenager's hands went to his mouth as he tried to stifle the sobs that started. The terror from the nightmare wasn't receding and he couldn't get those dead eyes out of his mind.

 _Murderer, murderer, murderer_ , a voice chanted in his head.

Ryo pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. His face went against his knees as he tried to stop the tears. He rocked side to side as he kept telling himself that he hadn't had any choice at the time; that he couldn't have stopped it.

"It's her fault," he whispered over and over as he rocked.

Slowly the fear started receding. After what felt like forever, the tears finally stopped. He lay back down on his bed and curled up under his blanket. He spent a long time like that until his alarm clock went off.

…

"Ryo are you okay?" Sage asked when he met Ryo as they walked to school.

Ryo shook his head. "I had a nightmare last night," he explained.

"What was it about?"

Ryo's eyes became pained as he looked ahead of himself. "I was in a kendo tournament fighting in my armor. The first time I fought was easy; the second one was as if I was fighting myself; the third was that young man I had killed." Ryo looked at the blonde. "I killed him again," he told his friend.

Sage wondered if it was because his friend had watched the kendo tournament that Sage had participated in yesterday. _Just how much has his time as Mason and the Sorceress' prisoner affected him?_ Ryo had been their prisoner for the longest out of all of them.

"It's over, Ryo," Sage told Wildfire. "They won't be able to make you fight again."

"Sage, I don't think we're free yet," Ryo said, "we still have the Sealing Marks and tracking bracelets. It won't end until they are gone."

Sage didn't say anything as he walked beside Wildfire. He knew that the black-haired teenager was right: until they were able to remove those things, the threat of being kidnapped again would always be there.

Cye, Kento and Rowen joined them on the way to school. Sage never mentioned that Ryo had had a nightmare and Ryo never said anything about it.

When they reached the school they went their separate ways. The next time they saw each other was at lunch.

Rowen's cell phone rang as they were eating. Strata swallowed the food that he was chewing and answered his phone.

"Mia?" The blue-haired teenager asked.

Ryo, Kento, Cye and Sage paused when they heard Rowen speak.

" _Can you put me on speaker?_ " Mia asked Strata.

"Hold on a second," the blue-haired teenager told her. He hit the speaker button. "Okay, it's on speaker."

" _I did some more researching on those things_ ," Mia told them. Everyone knew what their friend was talking about.

"Did you find anything?" Sage asked.

There was a pause.

" _No, I haven't_ ," Mia replied.

RME: okay, I have to admit those nightmares of Ryo's were fun to write. At least now you have a glimpse of what the Sorceress had done to Ryo.


	16. Dancing Through the Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 16**

 _Dancing Through the Night_

" _I did some more researching on those things_ ," Mia told them. Everyone knew what their friend was talking about.

"Did you find anything?" Sage asked.

There was a pause.

" _No, I haven't_ ," Mia replied.

Ryo and the others looked at each other. It had been over 3 months since they had come back. All of them had expected that Mia would be able to find a way to take off the Ronin Warriors' Sealing Marks and tracking bracelets. Not being able to find _anything_ wasn't something that they had thought would happen.

"It'll be okay," Cye told her, "you'll be able to find something eventually."

"Yeah, Mia, Cye's right. You've never been able to _not_ find something before," Kento said.

Ryo nodded his head. "It's true, Mia. You've never let us down before."

"Mia, don't worry," Sage told her, "you'll find something. I'm sure of it."

Rowen was silent as he thought. He knew that his friends were trying to cheer up the brunette woman. Strata knew that it wasn't as easy as they thought to find information from his own experiences. The others weren't the same; they didn't know that it could be extremely difficult to find the information that you wanted on a single thing. The other problem that Mia had was the fact that she was researching _two_ different things from a world they hadn't known had existed before Ryo had been kidnapped.

"I know it'll be hard, Mia, but you'll be able to find _something_ ," Rowen finally said.

There was a small sigh on the other end of the call.

" _Thanks, you guys_ ," Mia said.

"No problem," Ryo answered for everyone.

" _How is everyone doing, though? It's been a while since the last time I called_."

"Ryo had a ni-" Ryo jammed his elbow into his blonde friend's ribs "-a soccer game recently," Sage said.

" _I heard. Cye told me_ ," she said with amusement. " _But congratulations again, Ryo_."

"Thanks, Mia," Ryo said.

" _What about the rest of you?_ "

"Had a kendo tournament yesterday," Sage answered.

" _Let me guess…you won?_ "

"Like always!" Kento chirped.

There was laughter on the other end that was joined by the teenagers. It took a few seconds before they could stop.

" _What about Rowen, Kento and Cye?_ "

"Like normal," Cye answered.

"Nothing new," Kento answered after him.

"Nothing's changed since the last time you called. We haven't seen any signs of _them_ yet," Rowen answered after the other 2.

" _I'm glad_ ," Mia said, " _But don't relax yet. Until those bracelets of yours come off, they'll have an easy time finding you once you get in range of that_ thing." Mia didn't specifically say 'tracking device' since she knew that they were at school right now.

The warning bell rang.

"We got to go, Mia," Ryo told the brunette woman. "Lunch just ended."

" _Alright; just be_ careful," Mia said before she hung up. Rowen put his phone back in his pocket. The 5 of them hurriedly repacked their backpacks and went back inside the building.

…

Ryo, Kento, Rowen and Sage were sitting in the bleachers in their school's gym. The place was crowded as they waited for the basketball game to start. Like the times before, Kento had a huge pile of junk food on his lap that he was already eating.

"Why don't you just bring food in a bag?" Rowen asked as he watched Kento finish a Snickers bar.

"Great idea!" Kento exclaimed. "I can bring more food with me then."

Ryo shook his head. "Didn't you bring enough already?"

Kento just smiled at him. "Can't ever have too much food," he replied.

"For you," Rowen muttered.

"Hey!" Kento protested. "I just eat more than the rest of you!"

Ryo could clearly here Cye's "much _more_ ". The brunette wasn't with them as it was his basketball game tonight.

Rowen and Kento continued to playfully bicker until Sage said _shh_ when the teams came out of the locker rooms. Unlike last time, Cye didn't have a personal fan club. None of them did except Sage. Why him they couldn't figure out. There wasn't anything _different_ – well except for the Halo's soul inside him – so it didn't make sense to them. None of them realized that Sage was by far the most popular with the females in their school than the rest of them.

Kento was the loudest as they cheered for Cye's team. By the time the game ended with the brunette's team winning the large pile of food on Kento's lap was completely gone. All that was left was wrappers. The purple-haired teenager just crumpled them in his hands and threw them away as they left the gym.

"Think Cye's done changing yet?" Kento asked.

"Apparently," Rowen answered. His thumb pointed sideways. "He's over there."

Ryo and the others waited in a sea of moving people. When Torrent joined them, all of them went outside.

A poster caught Ryo's attention as they walked to the parking lot.

"Wait a minute, guys," he said as he left them. He went to the poster and read the announcement. "There's a dance party coming up soon," he said when they reached him.

"Do you think it's wise for us to go?" Cye asked.

"I don't think we should," Ryo answered. "We'll put anyone there in danger if we go."

"Well, _I_ don't think that it'll harm anything if we go," Kento refuted.

"I don't know, Kento…," Sage said as he studied the poster.

Kento waved his hand several times. "It'll be fine, it'll be fine!"

Cye held up his right hand. He pointed at his wrist. "Are you forgetting about these? We're basically magnets until we can get them off."

Ryo fingered his own silver bracelet. He saw Sage do the same. _Is he thinking the same thing I am?_ Wildfire wondered.

"Mason and her can find us without us knowing if we aren't careful," Sage reminded everyone.

"I'm sure it'll be okay as long as we keep an eye out," Rowen told the blonde.

"I don't know, guys," Ryo interjected, "remember what she can _do_ because of our…tattoos." The black-haired teenager didn't want to use the name 'Sealing Marks'. He was afraid that people would somehow take it the wrong way if they were listening.

"Ryo's got a point," Cye agreed. "If she could stop us when we were at Mason's place, couldn't she do it again if she found us here?"

"Didn't think of that," Rowen admitted.

"But we don't know that," Kento protested.

Ryo knew that Hardrock wouldn't stop until he talked them into it. Wildfire sighed and gave in. "If all of us go, we can watch each other's backs."

"What about asking the girls?" Sage asked as he made an unhappy face. He didn't want to have to ask a girl to go with him. He knew what would happen if he did.

"How about we go if a _girl_ asks one of _us_ to go with her," Rowen suggested. "We don't have to do anything so if we aren't asked then we don't have to go."

Ryo nodded. "That sounds like the best idea," he said as he glared at the purple-haired teenager. "Will that work, Kento?"

Kento gave his friend a huge grin. "Totally," he answered.

"Then let's go home," Ryo told everyone.

…

"Ashley, do you have a date for the dance yet?" A blonde girl asked.

Ashley colored. "Not yet," she replied.

"Oh? Who are you thinking about?" Her friend asked.

"N-no one in particular," The brunette answered.

Her friend playfully nudged her side. "I bet it's that Ryo Sanada from the class next door."

"Marie!" Ashley protested.

Her friend just laughed. "Don't you think it'd be _perfect_ though? You said that he wasn't interested in dating right now."

"He said he didn't _feel_ like dating right now!"

"But this is a _school dance_ , Ashley! It's not technically a 'date' right? You'll just be going to a school activity with him."

The brunette had to pause at that. Her friend was right, right? Her crush didn't want to date but had said nothing about going to school activities with her. _Would it work?_ She asked herself.

"B-but how would I do it?" She asked Marie. "Last time he just refused."

"Just don't make it sound like it's a date you're asking him out on."

"How do I do that without making a fool of myself?"

Marie gave her friend a wicked smile. "I'll help you," she replied.

Ashley got a distinct feeling that she had just messed up somehow.

…

Ryo felt her before he actually saw her. It was hard not to when you felt someone intently staring at you.

"I think she's back," he whispered to the others.

The wicked smile that Kento had worn last time came back. "Have fun!" He softly chirped.

"Not helping," Ryo muttered.

"U-um…R-Ryo?"

Ryo put on that same dazzling smile from last time. He turned around. "Yes?"

He quickly saw that she was wearing a nice dress this time. There was even make-up, unlike last time. It was as if she had 'prettied herself up' to do something. _Probably to ask me to go to the school dance with her_ , he thought.

The girl blushed. "I was wondering if y-you'd like to go to the school dance with me."

Ryo paused as if he wanted to build up suspense before he answered. Sage knew that Ryo remembered what they had decided when he had seen that poster after Cye's basketball game. After all, it was _Ryo_ who had decided that they would go if a girl asked them in the end.

"Sure," Ryo replied.

A bright smile appeared on the girl's face. "Great!"

"Umm…what is your name again?" Ryo didn't even remember seeing her before she asked him out. _Is she new?_

"I'm Ashley, Ryo," the girl replied.

Ryo had a confused face on when he asked "how do you know my name?"

Ashley just _stared_ at him for a second. "W-well, I've heard people talking about you," she replied. "There's been rumors going around the school about the bracelets and handkerchiefs around the necks of you and your friends."

Sage was suddenly interested in Ryo's conversation with Ashley. "What rumors?" He asked.

"Well, last year you didn't have those bracelets and those handkerchiefs around your necks weren't there. The rumors are about the reason that you've been wearing them since the school year began."

"What are the reasons that have been going around?" Rowen asked.

The girl shrugged. "Like your part of a gang. There's another that says that you got into an accident and are hiding the scars. The rumors about the bracelet are mostly about them being 'friendship' bracelets since you are all wearing the exact same one."

…

"Isn't he hot?"

"Which one?"

"The one with the blue hair."

"You mean Sage's friend Rowen?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you ask him to go to the dance with you?"

…

A couple of days after Ashley had asked Ryo to go to the dance with her, the second girl came to Ryo and the others as they talked in the halls before school started.

"Rowen?" The girl asked.

Rowen turned. "Yeah?"

"Will you…will you…." It was as if she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Go to the dance with you?" Rowen helpfully supplied.

She enthusiastically nodded.

The blue-haired teenager shrugged. "Why not?"

The girl smiled.

…

"You're asking _him_?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"He's bigger than the rest of them."

"But those muscles of his make him look _hot_."

…

A third girl came to Ryo and the others. She touched Kento's arm lightly to get his attention.

"Kento?" She asked.

"I'm Kento," Hardrock answered.

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

Kento smiled. "Sure."

…

"You've got to be joking."

"I'm serious."

"I thought you didn't like basketball players."

"He's different. He's not all stuck up just because he can play basketball."

…

Cye was given a piece of paper folded into an envelope.

"Can you read it?" The fourth girl asked.

Kento's interest was perked. He read the note over the brunette's shoulder.

Torrent looked at her.

"Okay," he answered.

…

"You know some of them are going to _hate_ you."

"So? It's not like I care that he's got a big fan club."

"Then why are you going to ask _him_ then?"

"I like blondes."

" _That's_ the reason?"

There was a blush. "And I've had a crush on him since I was 11."

…

Sage _knew_ it was only a matter of time until he was asked. Unlike the others, he was worried about who would ask him. _If it's one of those girls who look at me with dreamy eyes, then no_ , the blonde decided. He didn't want to have to deal with a girl who just wanted to go with him because he happened to be more popular than his friends.

"Sage?"

Sage saw Kento trying not to smile.

"Can I help you?" The blonde asked.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" It was stated in a matter-of-fact tone. For some reason, Sage doubted that this one girl was one of those who always gave him dreamy eyes when he passed them.

"Are you sure you want to ask me?" Halo asked. He was worried about what the other girls would think of the one asking him. "The others won't be happy."

The girl shrugged. "Don't really care. I'm just the one who happened to ask you first."

Sage nodded. "Then I'll go with you."

This time the girl _blushed_.

…

Ryo and Ashley met the others in front of the school gates. The rest of them had already picked up their girls and were waiting for the last 2 to arrive.

"What took you so long?" Kento asked.

"White Blaze decided that I wasn't allowed outside tonight," Ryo answered.

Cye, Rowen, Kento and Sage laughed. Their dates and Ashley didn't understand what was so amusing about Ryo's pet not wanting to let Ryo leave tonight. _Why did he say 'allowed' though?_ Ashley thought.

Rowen's date, Rebecca, decided that she would take up the position of asking. "Who is this White Blaze?"

Rowen tried to stop laughing. When he finally was able to he answered the question. "White Blaze is Ryo's cat."

Kento laughed even _harder_. Ryo glared at him.

"You know he doesn't like being called that," Ryo told Rowen.

"But he's a _feline_ , Ryo," Sage reminded the black-haired teenager.

"Does it matter that he's called a _cat_?" Sage's date, Elise, asked.

"Not really," Wildfire amended. He glared at Kento with a _shut up_ look. Hardrock stopped laughing.

Cye held out his arm for his date. "Shall we go, Diane?" He asked.

Diane took the brunette's arm. They led the others into the gym of their school. There were people dancing by the time all 10 walked in. Kento immediately took his date to the snack table. Both gleefully grabbed a plate and started filling it up.

"Keep an eye out for Mason and her," Ryo reminded Sage, Rowen and Cye. He didn't have to speak very loud for his friends to hear him. There was no reply from any of them but the black-haired teenager knew that they had heard him. _Our hearing ability really comes in handy_ , Ryo thought as he led Ashley to the dance floor. _Now if only they'd lower the sound of the music_. Because of their abnormal hearing, the music in the gym was much louder for the Ronin Warriors than the rest of those who were inside.

"You dance pretty well," Ashley commented.

Ryo smiled. "A friend of mine taught me how to dance."

"They must have been pretty good."

 _Her parents forced her to learn how to dance because she comes from a rich family_ , Wildfire thought. Out loud he said "She took lessons when she was younger."

Ashley's heart froze. Ryo was friends with a _girl_? Her wish that Ryo didn't have any other girls who had crushes on him shattered.

"Relax," Ryo told her as he twirled her around. "She's just a close friend."

Rowen and Rebecca were sitting at one of the tables as they ate.

"White Blaze did that?" she asked.

Rowen nodded. "He's pretty protective of Ryo," he explained. He cut a piece of his cake.

"I'm surprised a cat can do that."

"White Blaze is a huge cat."

"He _has_ to be huge to do that."

Rowen finished eating the piece of cake. "You want to hear another story about White Blaze?"

Rebecca smiled in anticipation. "Is it going to be just as good as the last one?"

"This is my favorite one, personally."

Kento and his date, Amanda, were sitting at a table far away from Rowen and Rebecca.

"You have a lot of food," Amanda commented as they began to eat.

The purple-haired teenager's attention snapped back to her. "I love food," he explained with a grin.

She smiled. "I do, too. I want to be a chef after I graduate."

"I think I'd rather eat the food than make it."

Amanda laughed. "Somehow I'm not surprised. I've seen you eat with your friends at school before. You always have at least twice as much food. I just wonder how you can eat that much."

"Got a bigger appetite than most. Cye always adds ' _much_ more' every time I say that."

Amanda laughed. "I agree."

She laughed harder when Kento gave her a fake pout. "You're just like him," Hardrock joked.

"Are you okay, Elise? A lot of girls seem to be glaring at you," Sage whispered as they danced far from Ryo and Ashley.

A part of Sage's attention was keeping a lookout for any sign of Mason or the Sorceress. He tried to keep that part hidden out of respect for his date. She seemed calm as she held his hand and arm.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I'll deal with what happens after this when it happens."

Cye and Diane were sitting on the stage as they watched everyone dance. Cye was also scanning the room for any signs of danger as he did so.

"Are you looking for someone?" Diane asked.

Cye shook his head. "I'm just looking for my friends. I think I've lost sight of at least one of them."

Diane put her hands on the stage. "You know," she said as she looked at the ceiling, "you're not like the other basketball players at school."

"What do you mean?"

"The others are stuck up because they can play basketball better than the rest of the school. But you – you're different. It's as if it's a part of you but doesn't _define_ you."

"What do you think defines me then?" Cye was honestly curious.

"Your politeness and gentleness; you're considerate of others even if they are just strangers."

"No one's ever seen it that way before."

"Even your friends?"

"I guess you can say that Ryo and the others are different. There's a connection – a bond – that we share amongst ourselves. They've seen parts of me that no one else has seen and I've seen parts of them that no one else knows."

"Even Sage?"

"Even Sage," Cye agreed. "Did you know he doesn't like the attention that he seems to get from most of the girls at school?"

Diane giggled. "He doesn't?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, when we went to America, he kept trying to not be noticed. I guess with the aura that he gives off, it's kind of hard not to."

She gazed into the distance. "You're right about that. There's something that catches everyone's attention."

"Do you know what it is?"

Diane shook her head. "Whatever it is I don't see it. I don't think even Elise sees it."

"How do you know?"

"Let's just say that girls see things that boys don't pick up on."

Cye had to smile at that. "I think Sage would like to hear that."

"That I don't know what catches people's attention or that Elise doesn't see why girls go all gaga over him?"

"Both, actually."

Diane smiled. "I'll let Elise decide to tell him or not."

The rest of the school dance was spent with the Ronin Warriors away from each other. They kept an eye out for Mason and the Sorceress but didn't find any signs of them. When the dance ended, Ryo and the others took their dates to their homes. After that, the 5 of them didn't met back up; instead they opted to just return to their own houses.

White Blaze was waiting for Ryo to open the door. When Wildfire came inside the house, the tiger pounced on the teenager. The tiger began sniffing his human as if he was checking for something.

"Relax, White Blaze," Ryo said as he tried to push the huge feline off of him. "I only went to a school dance with a girl from school. Mason and the Sorceress never showed up."

White Blaze growled as if to say _you were an idiot_.

"Now," Ryo said as he pushed against his tiger again, "you can get _off_ me."

White Blaze licked Ryo's face before doing what his human wanted. The black-haired teenager stood and wiped off the back of his jacket. He started walking to his room.

"I'm going to bed, White Blaze. Are you going to come with me?"

Ryo had to grab onto the wall when White Blaze ran past him. The tiger was inside by the time the teenager entered the room.

…

Mason and the Sorceress walked inside an expensive hotel. They both were rolling their suitcases behind them as they walked to the counter in the lobby.

"I'd like 2 rooms," Mason said when they reached it.

The man behind the counter looked over the 2. _Why do they want 2 rooms? Aren't they a couple?_ He thought. He didn't voice his question out loud as he checked them in and handed the keys to the mercenary. "Have a good stay," he politely said as the 2 Americans left the lobby. _They're a strange group. She's wearing a black dress fit for a date and he's wearing a suit that the CEO of a company would wear_.

Mason stopped between 2 doors. He gave one key to the Sorceress and kept the other.

"Take your things into your room. Once you do that come to mine," he told her.

The Sorceress didn't like being told what to do. She didn't say anything, though, as Mason was her employer right now. She only nodded and went inside her hotel room. Mason did the same. A couple of minutes later, Mason opened the door when the woman knocked.

"Come in," he told her. He moved aside and waved her in.

She walked to the table and sat in one of the 2 chairs. She got comfortable as Mason took out the map of the city they had just come to. He opened it and spread it across the round table. He pointed to a certain place on the map.

"Right now, we're right here," he said.

"This city isn't as big as the one that we flew into," she observed.

"You said that about the second city."

"And the third was larger than last," she reminded him.

"Still, I have a feeling this city is the one we're looking for."

"The one where the Ronin Warriors are hiding," the Sorceress asked.

"Exactly," Mason agreed.

"Who would name a city Toyama though?"

Mason shrugged. "Don't know," he replied.

RME: okay, it's official. It's almost impossible for me to _not_ write long chapters. My _sister_ even said that I write chapters that are on the too-long side. The part of the timeline that I had marked off for this chapter wasn't even that _big_ to begin with…


	17. Findings

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 17**

 _Findings_

 _Ryo's mind swam between unconsciousness and consciousness. There was something_ off _; something felt wrong and he couldn't figure it out. He heard people talking but it was as if they were underwater._

 _He tried to open his eyes to see who was talking but they refused to even move. He just lay there trying to listen as he forced himself to wake up. His side_ hurt _and all he wanted to do was sleep it off._

 _"I won't let you take Ryo away again," Kento flatly said._

 _Wildfire panicked._ She's already back _?_

 _"What are you talking about?" An unfamiliar voice asked._

 _"The Sorceress-" Ryo's heart jumped at her name. "-she's been taking him so she can get control of the Inferno."_

 _The black-haired teenager cringed at the flash of memories that went through his mind. He didn't want to remember those times but Rowen's words had brought them back._

 _"How can she get control of it if only Ryo can wear the Inferno?" Mia asked._

Mia's here? Am I dreaming?

 _"She's found a way to control all of our armors, Mia – including the Wildfire. The Inferno is the only one she can't," Rowen explained._

 _"This situation is worse than I thought it was," the unfamiliar voice said._

 _"What is he talking about, Mia?"_

 _"Jason came with me to rescue you guys," Mia explained. "He wants to stop the Sorceress."_

 _There was a pause._

 _"Is there a way to get you guys out of here without having to go through the mansion?" the unfamiliar voice asked._

 _"There is but it's going to start raining really bad soon," Rowen answered._

 _"How do you know that a rainstorm is coming when there isn't any indication for it?"_

 _"He has the ability to sense any change in the weather," Mia started._

 _"Yeah, he's like a weather detector!" Kento joked._

 _"He's never been wrong when he says it's going to rain," Mia finished._

 _Ryo turned over. His eyes finally opened and he saw Mia and his friends standing by the door. There was also an unfamiliar man with the brunette woman._

 _"Guys, what's going on?" Ryo asked._

 _"We're getting out of here, Ryo," Sage answered._

 _The black-haired teenager was careful as he slowly sat up. His side was throbbing and he didn't want to cause any more pain._

 _"When are we leaving?" Wildfire asked._

 _"We're taking you guys away from here now," Mia gently answered._

 _For the first time in a long while Ryo felt that it was possible for him to escape this nightmare he had been living in for a while._ I'll be away from her _, he thought._

 _"There's a part of this place that is outside with walls surrounding it," Rowen continued._

 _"Why haven't you jumped over those walls?" Mia asked._

 _The picture of those pieces of paper came to Ryo's mind._

 _"There are pieces of paper on them that are stopping us from being able to do so," Sage explained._

 _"Those pieces of paper must be the charms that the Sorceress must have put on the walls to prevent you from escaping," Jason explained._

 _Ryo remembered the time he had tried to take one off after he had woken up in his prison._

 _"But none of us can touch them," Ryo pointed out._

 _"None of you have supernatural powers so you can't touch the charms," Jason pointed to himself. "But_ I _can because I have supernatural powers. I can also remove them."_

 _Wildfire's heart soared. He was finally leaving the hell he was living in. He'd be taken away from the Sorceress' grasp – she'd never be able to hurt him again._

 _Kento gently picked up Ryo. The black-haired teenager was about to protest when Kento shook his head. "You're injured, Ryo. It'll be faster if I just carry you."_

 _Ryo did_ not _want to be carried but didn't protest as Hardrock carried him out of their bedroom He knew that his friend was right. A few steps past the door also helped the decision to be carried as they escaped._

 _His side was on fire as he was carried through the prison and out of the mansion. He closed his eyes and turned his face into Kento's chest as he bit his lip. He was trying to not scream from the pain he was feeling because he was afraid that Mason and the Sorceress would hear and would stop them._

 _"It's okay, buddy," Kento whispered as he waited for something. "Jason's peeling off the charms right now."_

 _Ryo managed to nod his head against his friend's chest. Even though he didn't want to scream, it threatened to come out when he felt Kento jump. His side was jarred on the landing and he gasped from the pain._

 _"Sorry," Kento muttered._

 _Ryo felt the wind for the first time in a long time. It felt good as Kento ran through the estate. He felt the freedom that he had been lacking for so long come back. He wouldn't be going back to his prison again._

 _But the euphoria that was inside him immediately died when he felt himself stiffen in Kento's arms._ No… _, Ryo pleaded,_ please, not this again _. He knew that the Sorceress had found out that they were escaping._

 _"Guys, what's wrong?"Mia worriedly asked._

 _"She stopped us from moving," Strata slowly explained._

 _"Jason, something's wrong with them!" Mia frantically called._

 _The sorcerer came to Ryo and the others. He touched Ryo's Sealing Mark but nothing happened._

This isn't right _, Wildfire thought._ I'm sure this isn't right _._

 _"It's not working," Jason told everyone. "I can't free them from the Sorceress' control."_

 _"What do we do?" Mia frantically asked._

 _"R…run," Ryo managed to say, "before she…gets you."_

 _"Ryo, I can't leave you guys!" Mia protested._

 _"You'll die if you don't," Ryo told her._

 _Jason grabbed Mia's arm. He tugged her away with the promise to come back for Ryo and the others. The black-haired teenager wanted to reach out to them and beg then to not leave him there. He was sure that if he was taken back to his prison, the Sorceress would most likely kill him._

 _Ryo waited in Kento's arms for Mason's men to find them. Different ways that the Sorceress would kill him raced through his mind. Would she drown him? Somehow set him on fire and just watch him burn? Or would she dig into his side again and watch him bleed to death?_

 _"They're over here!" A voice called from behind them._

 _Wildfire could_ feel _his doom coming from behind Kento. Right then he wished that White Blaze was with him like always. He knew that his tiger would protect him from being kidnapped again. White Blaze had always protected him from any threats._

 _Ryo felt Kento's muscles relax against his face. Wildfire, however, didn't have that luxury. He spent the time it took to return to his prison stiff in his friend's arms. When they reached the prison gate again, Ryo almost fell out of Kento's arms when the larger teenager was_ pushed _through the gate. There was a slam then laughter._

 _"Try to leave now," someone said with amusement._

 _The Sorceress came to the gate._

 _"I will be taking Ryo," she said._

 _Ryo felt himself just_ appear _in her arms. He was carried to her lab and gently sat on the floor. This time he wasn't shackled._

 _"Ryo, Ryo," the Sorceress sadly said, "I'm disappointed in you." Her hand gently caressed his cheek as if she was his mother. "I thought you knew better than to run from me."_

 _The black-haired teenager wanted to move away from her hand but his body wouldn't obey him. He was_ terrified _._

 _Her hand left his cheek and she stood. "I won't let you leave me," she stated._

 _Ryo looked up at her. "Please don't kill me," he softly begged._

 _The Sorceress shook her head. "I won't," she promised, "but you need to be taught a lesson."_

 _She put her hand on Ryo's head. She caressed it like she had done his cheek. The terror inside him spiked._ What is she about to do?

 _Heat started at his feet and quickly went up his body. Then the fire started. It went from his feet and_ slowly _inched its way up him. Ryo was screaming at the top of his lungs as it went higher on him. He_ felt _himself_ burn _._

…

Ryo actually _screamed_ when he woke up. He could feel the pain of the fire as he lay shaking in his bed. It took minutes for it to die before he was able to move again. He rolled onto his stomach and grabbed his phone. His fingers raced through dialing a phone number. His heart was still beating fast as he waited for him to pick up.

" _Hello?_ " Sage's sleepy voice asked.

"Sage, please come over," Ryo begged.

There was a pause on the other end of the phone call.

" _What's wrong?_ " Sage worriedly asked.

"Please, just come over," Wildfire begged again. "My parents are out of town right now and I don't want to be alone."

" _I'll be over in 15 minutes_ ," Sage told Ryo.

Ryo wanted it to be faster but he knew he lived too far out of the city for it to be any faster. He acknowledged Sage's words then hung up. Once his phone was back on his nightstand, he got out of bed. He searched his dark room for black and white. When he found it, he went over and sat on the ground.

"White Blaze," Ryo whispered.

The tiger's head moved up. He saw Ryo's face and uncurled himself slightly. The black-haired teenager went against his tiger's side and curled up. White Blaze curled himself around his human. They didn't move until there was a knock on the front door. Ryo got up to answer it with the tiger following behind.

Sage was standing in the cold when Wildfire opened the door. The black-haired teenager moved to the side and the blonde came in. They both went to Ryo's bedroom. When they were sitting on the bed, Sage finally asked the question that was on his mind.

"Ryo, what's wrong?"

Ryo's arms went around himself.

"I had a nightmare where we weren't able to escape," he explained. "Sage, she _burned_ my body and let me die."

Sage had a feeling that the 'she' that Ryo had referred to was the Sorceress. After all, Ryo couldn't _be_ burned. She had been the only exception because of her supernatural powers.

"Ryo, we're not there anymore," Sage reminded Wildfire, "she won't be able to harm you again."

"Sage, that's just it; we're _not_ free until our Sealing Marks and tracking bracelets are gone. She can _find_ me, Sage, if she's close enough with a tracking device."

Halo knew that his friend was right – all of them knew that. He wanted to say something to comfort the black-haired teenager but his mind was blank. He saw the fear in Ryo's eyes as the teenager kept looking around the room as if waiting for something. The blonde made his decision then.

"I'll stay here tonight," he told Wildfire, "just get some sleep, okay?"

Ryo nodded. He went over and sat at the head of the bed next to Halo. Both lay down and the black-haired teenager pulled the blanket over them. Wildfire turned to look at Sage and closed his eyes. The blonde kept his eyes open until he knew that his friend had fallen asleep again.

"Good night, Ryo," he whispered as he closed his eyes. He quickly joined his friend in dreamland.

…

Mia called again during Ryo and the others' lunchtime at school. Rowen was the one who answered his phone.

"It's Mia," he informed the others.

Everyone stopped eating as Rowen answered.

" _Rowen, can you put me on speaker?_ " Mia asked.

"Hold on a second," the blue-haired teenager replied. His finger hit the button. "Okay, you're on speaker."

" _I've been researching about your things. It turns out that lead that I thought I had wasn't what I thought it was._ "

Ryo's heart skipped a beat. _Will we never be free of them?_ He thought. He knew that his friends were thinking the same thing from the expressions they were wearing.

"Do you think there is no way to take them off?" Cye asked. "I don't want Mason and her kidnapping us again."

Ryo, Sage, Kento and Rowen understood the brunette's fear. They also were starting to think that they may never be able to remove their Sealing Marks and tracking bracelets. The fear that Mason and the Sorceress could kidnap them again was always in the back of their minds.

" _It'll be okay, Cye. Everything will work out in the end. I know that I'll find a way to remove them_ ," Mia gently told Torrent.

The school bell rang.

"We've got to go, Mia. Lunch is over," Rowen said.

" _Goodbye and stay safe_."

Strata closed his phone. All 5 quickly packed up again and headed back into the building. They split up soon after walking inside.

…

Mason and the Sorceress were walking through Toyama with the man holding the tracking device. They had spent some time in this city already and hadn't picked up the signal from any of the Ronin Warriors' tracking bracelets. Since the city was so big, it hadn't been that big of a surprise that they weren't able to find any of the signals from the bracelets.

The Sorceress had told Mason in the past that it would be hard for those teenagers to remove their tracking bracelets. She had never told him how hard but he had seen the look in her eye at that time.

"Have you gotten anything?" The Sorceress asked again.

The mercenary shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "I don't think they are in this city."

The woman looked at her employer. "We'll keep trying for a little longer," she told him. "Something tells me we'll find them soon."

They continued walking in silence before the man said "got one."

Both stopped and looked at the tracker.

"He's pretty far from here," she commented.

"Will we get closer, then?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to do anything to give them any hint that we've found one of them. If they find out that we know where he is, they might take precautions."

"Then when will we?"

"After we find all 5," she answered. "Which one is it anyway?"

"It says it's Rowen."

"We might want to find out where he lives and where he tends to go."

"To find the right time to take him back?" Mason asked.

The Sorceress nodded. "Exactly."

Mason and the Sorceress spent the next several days learning the teenager's routine. Once they felt they had found enough information they decided to move onto the next one.

…

The temperature was finally starting to warm up.

Sage was wearing short sleeves today when he met up with Ryo on the way to school. It was Monday so they hadn't seen each other for a while. The blonde fell into step with the black-haired teenager.

"Have you seen any sign of Mason or her?" Sage asked as they walked.

Ryo shook his head. "Nothing," he replied.

Halo's eyes swept the area around them again. "I haven't seen any sign either."

"Do you think they haven't found us yet?"

The blonde nodded. "I think we would know if they had. Neither knows that our eyesight and hearing are a lot better than everyone else's."

"It's been over 6 months since we've come back," Ryo stated, "I don't know if I should be relieved that it's been that long or worry that it's been long enough for them to find at least one of us."

Sage shrugged. He didn't know either.

Cye eventually met up with them. Kento followed soon after. Rowen was the last to do so. They continued walking while keeping any eye out for Mason and the Sorceress.

"Has anyone seen any sign of Mason and her?" Rowen asked as they walked.

Ryo shook his head. "Nothing," he answered.

"I haven't seen anything," Cye answered.

"Nothing," Kento echoed.

"Same here," Sage said.

"Don't stop watching, guys, even if we haven't seen anything. I don't want to relax yet," Ryo warned his friends.

"Will do," Kento said as the others nodded their heads.

…

Mason and the Sorceress were looking for the next signal from the tracking bracelets. It had been some time since they had found Rowen but the teenager had never been with his friends the entire time he was being watched. They had eventually given up using him as a way to find the others and had moved on to finding the next Ronin Warrior.

They eventually came to a restaurant around dinnertime. They went inside to eat before resuming their search. They were shown to a table far from the restaurant's kitchen. As they sat there waiting for a waiter or waitress, they began talking.

"Do you think that it's possible that none of the others live in this city?" The Sorceress asked after setting her glass of water down.

"I'm beginning to wonder about that," Mason answered. "It's been a while since we had found the first of the boys. I would have thought that he would be with the others."

She swirled her index finger in the water of her glass. "Should we move on to another city, then?"

Mason shook his head. "Let's wait a little longer," he replied as he looked through the menu.

The woman looked at the tracking device that was slightly sticking out of the mercenary's shirt pocket. "Why don't you check it again?" She suggested. "We might get lucky this time."

The man grabbed the device and looked at it.

"One is close by," he whispered a few seconds later. "It's Kento."

"Do you know where?"

He shook his head. "We're too close to get a good guess."

"Does that mean that he is very close to us?"

There was a shrug. "Could be; for all we know he could be in this restaurant's kitchen."

"Shall we watch this place to see if he's here after we leave?"

Mason nodded. "I want to make sure if he's here or not before we move on."

"What would you like to order today?" A woman asked.

The Sorceress and Mason ordered and the waitress left. They resumed their discussion while waiting for their food. When the waitress came back with their dinner, they stopped talking long enough for her get out of hearing range.

After they finished eating, they left to find a good place to watch the restaurant without being seen. They didn't want to chance Kento seeing them so they went on top of a tall building and got comfortable while they waited.

"Do you have those binoculars still?" Mason asked the woman.

"Of course," she replied, "I always have them with me in case they are ever needed for some reason."

"Then we should use them to watch for Kento."

She took her small purse and opened it. An expensive pair of binoculars came out and she zipped the bag up. The object was handed the man who took a good look through them. He pulled them down and shook his head.

"I have a feeling that we're going to be waiting for a while."

"Until the place closes?"

The mercenary nodded. "Most likely."

…

Kento juggled the 2 frying pans as he tried not to drop them. _All this strength and I feel like I'm about to drop them_ , he thought.

"Hurry up!" A woman worriedly called from behind him.

"I'm trying, mom!" Kento almost yelled.

The room was just as loud as it was busy. The restaurant was full of customers and Hardrock had been forced to help in the kitchen as 2 of the cooks had called in sick earlier. The purple-haired teenager had been called to his family's restaurant hours ago to take their place in the kitchen. It probably wouldn't have been so hard on the teenager if he had been allowed to eat a while ago. His stomach was growling from hunger and it was hard to not grab some food when his mom wasn't watching. His dad was at the register by the front door so he didn't have to worry about the man catching Hardrock in the act of stealing food.

It wasn't until a few hours before closing time that the teenager had enough time to finally eat. He took a plate of food to the break room and started eating. By the time he was completely done there was a nice stack of empty plates on the table near him. He grabbed the whole stack and took them to where the dishes were being washed. He dropped them off and went back to help his mom and some others in the kitchen again. He spent the rest of the time helping until the place closed for the night. Once the last customer left his dad locked the doors and came to the kitchen.

"Everyone's gone now," he told his wife and son.

The woman sighed in relief. "It's going to be hard to keep the kitchen going for the next few days until the 2 of them can come back in," she stated.

Kento stretched his back. _Please don't-_

"I'd like your help while they are gone, Kento. Will it be okay to miss the rest of the week at school?"

Kento knew that it wasn't really a question; it was more like a command and he could almost hear the unspoken _or else_ attached to it.

"Yes, mom," Kento replied. "Just let me call Ryo and the others to let them know I won't be going back to school until Monday."

His mom nodded. "You can do it tomorrow morning before school. The restaurant opens after your school starts so it won't be a problem."

Kento nodded. _At least I don't have to wake up early. The only problem is going to be getting Rowen to wake up long enough to tell him that I'll be staying home until next week_.

Hardrock helped his parents finish cleaning up in the kitchen. Once they were done they left to go home. As Kento waited for his dad to lock the back door of the restaurant that his family owned, his back was to the tall building across the street. He never looked at it as he began walking home to his place nearby.

He walked home without seeing the 2 people on top of the high building watching him walk with his parents to their house nearby. He never knew that he was being watched while he was working at his family's restaurant.

…

It was Monday and Ryo was in the shower stalls in the boys' locker room after soccer practice. He was washing the sweat off before returning home. After having White Blaze sniff him when he had come home last time without showering first, he had decided that it was worth taking the few minutes it took to take a shower before returning home.

There was singing coming from the right side of his stall. Wildfire tried to block out the tone-deaf voice but it was hard when it was so loud and you had much better hearing than everyone else.

Ryo grabbed the bar of soap he had brought inside with him. He started lathering his hands. A little into the process, he felt it slip and crash onto the tiles he was standing on. The singing immediately stopped.

"Are you okay over there? It sounded like something fell," his stall neighbor said.

Ryo bent to pick the bar up. His hand went around it.

"What's wrong with your arm?" His stall neighbor asked.

Ryo's arm was almost a blur as he straightened.

"Nothing's wrong," he said. He tried to keep his voice from wavering. "It must have been the lighting that you saw."

Wildfire's heart beat fast in his chest. _Please don't ask, please don't ask, please don't ask..._

"Oh…," came from his right. "Sorry about that, Ryo."

"It's okay."

Ryo went faster as he finished washing up. He was grateful that his shower stall neighbor was on his right side, not his left. The scars from the needles that were on his left leg went all the way down his calf until right above his ankle. The wall of the shower stall went about three-fourths down Ryo's legs. If the other teenager had been on his left side, he would have seen the scars if he were to bend down.

 _I'm never taking a shower here again. At least not until the scars from the Sorceress somehow disappear_ , Ryo decided as he reached for the water knob. He turned off the water and slightly opened the stall curtain. He looked to the right and saw that the other curtain was still closed. He opened the curtain for his stall completely and quickly went to his locker. He sped through the process of getting dressed while the other was still singing away in the shower. He was out the locker room door before the water was turned off.

Since he had had soccer practice today, he had told the others to go home without him. Sage had been worried but Ryo had promised to be careful as he walked home alone. As he walked through the city, his mind was still on what had happened in the locker room. _I have to be more careful from now on_ , he decided as he waited for the street sign to change. He knew that he should probably tell the others about what had happened. Since they had been there through all of it, he felt that they should know.

When he got home, White Blaze was waiting for him. The tiger immediately went to the black-haired teenager.

"I'm clean," he told his tiger, "you don't have to do it again."

The tiger nudged his hand. He petted his tiger's head then went to his room to drop off his things. He knew that his parents wouldn't be home for a few more hours. Instead of waiting for his mom to cook dinner, Wildfire grabbed something to eat and went to his room. He ate as he did his homework at his desk.

…

"He almost saw them?" Kento asked from his spot on Cye's bed.

Ryo nodded from his seat against the wall near the door. "If I hadn't been faster I think he would have."

"Man, that has _got_ to be nerve racking," Kento stated.

"Will you stop using the showers in the locker room?" Cye asked as he sat backwards on his chair. His arms were crossed on the top of it.

"Yeah; for now anyway," Ryo answered.

"Do you think that they would disappear eventually?" Sage asked from his seat against the wall. "They aren't normal scars are they?"

"I don't know, Sage," Rowen said from his spot leaning against Cye's bed. "I know that they aren't normal so I guess that's a possibility."

Ryo looked at his friends. "Have any of you seen any sign of Mason or her?" He asked.

None of the really knew how many times that one of them had asked that question. Even now, the answer was still the same: nothing. It had been almost 8 months since they had returned home. Each had thought that it wouldn't take Mason and the Sorceress long to find them.

"Why haven't she and Mason found us yet? With our bracelets, wouldn't that have been easy?" Sage asked.

Kento played with his bracelet.

"Well, the airport we flew into isn't in Toyama," Rowen pointed out, "and there are a lot of cities nearby. They might have been looking for us in the other cities."

"It's been almost _8 months_ , Rowen," Kento reminded his friend. "It can't have taken them that long to go through each city."

"Depends on how they do it, Kento," Ryo said. "I can see them being very meticulous in their search for us."

"For 8 months? That's crazy."

Cye shrugged. "For all we know they may have already found at least one of us."

"Wouldn't they have kidnapped whoever they had found?" Ryo asked.

"I didn't think of that," Cye admitted.

"But _would_ they kidnap us one at a time? The last time that happened, there hadn't been much time between everyone's except for Ryo and Rowen's," Sage pointed out.

"They hadn't known about the Inferno for a while after I had woken up at Mason's," Ryo reminded the blonde.

"When they did, though, it hadn't been very long before all of us were kidnapped," Kento stated.

The times that they had fought each other to kidnap Sage, Kento and Cye went through each of their minds. It was hard to forget when you fought your friends in your armors. They had never thought of that possibility until the Sorceress had forced them to.

"But, what will we do if they try to kidnap us again?" Cye asked. That had been on his mind for a while.

"You mean besides run? I don't think there _is_ much we can do besides that, Cye," Kento answered.

"I just wish we didn't have our Sealing Marks. If they were gone we could protect ourselves from whoever tries to kidnap us."

"I don't know if I can fight them in my armor," Ryo told them. He shivered at the memory of the 5 times he had been forced to fight. After having done that, he didn't think he could even raise his swords against another human.

Sage saw the shiver that went through the black-haired teenager. He was sure that Wildfire was thinking about those times that the Sorceress had forced him to fight. _Is he thinking about those 2 people he killed?_

Sage almost couldn't suppress his own shiver that the memory of that one person he had killed brought. Even he had nightmares of that time. He wondered if Ryo's nightmares were worse than his from everything that had been done to him and what he had been forced to do. The Sorceress had never experimented on any of them since it was _Ryo_ who had the Inferno inside of him.

"Cye, dinner's ready!" Cye's mom called from the living room. "Ask if your friends would like to join us!"

The brunette looked at the other 4. "Well?"

Ryo shrugged. "Might as well," he replied.

They went to the kitchen as a group and sat at the table. Cye's mom set dinner on it they began to eat. Cye's dad was going to be late today so it was only the 6 of them. After dinner, Kento and Ryo helped clean up while Cye went to the front door with Sage and Rowen. The 2 left and Cye returned to the kitchen to help.

…

Mason and the Sorceress were heading to a restaurant to eat dinner when Mason stopped. He looked to the left and said "Sage and Rowen are nearby."

"How far away are they?" The Sorceress asked from beside him.

"A couple of streets over," the mercenary replied.

"Will we follow them?"

"We'll keep Sage's tracker in range while we follow him. We don't need to get close just to see where he is going."

"That's a wise decision," the woman agreed, "we don't have to be near, so the boy will not know that we have found him."

The 2 of them walked couple of streets away from Sage's tracker as Halo kept walking towards the edge of town. When the signal stopped moving, both went closer to where the blonde had stopped at. They noticed that Sage had gone inside a dojo.

"Is that where he lives?" The Sorceress asked.

"Must be," Mason replied. "The signal hasn't moved from this spot for a while."

"Shall we watch him like we have Rowen and Kento?"

The man nodded. "I want to learn where the boy tends to go before trying to find the last 2."

The woman smiled in anticipation. She couldn't _wait_ to get her hands on Ryo again. She had started dreaming of the day that she would get control of that second armor inside him recently. The anticipation of control of such a powerful source sent shivers of excitement down her spine. _Wait for me_ , she thought, _I'll find you eventually and once I do I'll never let you go again_.

They spent the next few days learning about where Halo tended to go. Much to their disappointment, the teenager never came into contact with the last 2 Ronin Warriors. After those few days, Mason and the Sorceress left to find the last 2 of the 5 teenagers they had come for.

Sage never knew that he had been watched by the 2 people he didn't want to find him.

…

The school bell rang for the last time that school year. The students seemed to flee the campus as fast as possible as if they were afraid that they would be called back inside for some reason. The 5 Ronin Warriors were no exception. They quickly gathered at their usual meeting spot and left to go home.

"Home, here I come!" Kento joked as they walked.

Cye smiled. "I thought you didn't want to help at your family's restaurant during the summer like you usually have to."

"This time is different," Kento brightly said. "It'll be just like all the summers before; no fighting and no protecting." The purple-haired teenager looked at Wildfire when he said the last few words.

Ryo understood what Kento meant with the words 'no protecting'. Last summer the Sorceress had tried to get control of the Inferno. This summer, Ryo was free so there was no need for his friends to protect him. _Unless the Sorceress finds me somehow_ , he reminded himself. Her image came to his mind; he vividly remembered her black dress gathering at her feet and the headband that had gone around her forehead. Even her flowing auburn hair was just as vivid as the rest. _Will I never forget the way she looks?_ It had been 9 months since Ryo had been rescued but it was as if he had just seen her yesterday.

"It's been 9 months," Cye said as if he could read Wildfire's mind. "Do you think that they've given up on finding us?"

"I'm beginning to wonder, Cye," Rowen answered. "I thought we would have been found in a month or 2 when we had returned home. But it's been over half a year since we had escaped and yet we've never seen any sign of them."

Ryo looked at the cloudy sky. "Do you think we can stop being so vigilant?"

Sage shrugged. "I don't know, Ryo. I'm still worried that one day I'll run into them without knowing until it's too late." _Or the Sorceress finds you alone_ , he silently added.

"But it's been _9 months_ , Sage," Kento reminded the blonde. "I don't think we'll see them again since it's been so long since we've returned from America."

"But is it wise to just relax, Kento?" Cye asked. "We've still got our Sealing Marks and bracelets. They can easily find and then kidnap us again because of them."

Kento waved his hand as if to say _who cares?_. "It'll be fine, Cye," he insisted. "We're all together right now; it's not like last time when we were kidnapped one at a time."

"So we're supposed to stick together no matter what?" Sage asked.

"Why not?"

"We have our own lives, Kento," Ryo reminded the purple-haired teenager, "we can't continue to basically live together."

"Then will we stop looking out for them?" Cye asked. He felt uncomfortable with that thought. He was afraid that he wouldn't be ready if he stopped keeping an eye out for them. It wouldn't be as hard to kidnap him as the first time since he still had both things that he had been given at Mason's estate.

"No," Ryo responded. "I think it's still too early for that."

"Then _when_ can we?"

The black-haired teenager was silent for a couple of seconds as he thought of an answer. "I don't know," he finally said.

Kento suddenly smiled. "Hey, my parents are at the restaurant right now so no one's home. Why don't we watch a movie and order some pizza?"

Cye snickered. "How _much_ is 'some'?"

"Don't know…um, how about 7?"

Ryo laughed. "And how many are yours?"

"Maybe 3-4?"

Sage shook his head. "I can't believe you eat that much."

Kento gave Halo a goofy grin. "Totally."

Ryo looked ahead. "I'll have to call home to tell mom to feed White Blaze since I'm not going straight home."

"Where do you get White Blaze's food?" Kento asked. "I doubt you feed him cat food."

"I get a ton of raw meat from the store."

They continued to walk to Kento's house as they talked. Kento unlocked the door and everyone went inside. Ryo grabbed his phone and called home. After he finished talking to his mom, he hung up and went to the living room where the others were arguing over what pizza to get. Ryo just sat and watched as the argument continued until Rowen had finally had enough and told everyone that he'd decide on the pizza since he knew what everyone liked.

...

It'd been almost 10 months since Mason had lost his money-makers. They had already found 3 of the 5 Ronin Warriors but the last 2 still eluded them. The one teenager that the Sorceress wanted the most hadn't been found yet. She was starting to feel impatient. When she and Mason had come to Japan to bring them back, she had thought that it'd only have taken 2 to 3 months at most before they had them again.

"Patience," Mason reminded her at breakfast. "We'll find the last 2 eventually."

"We've come across both Rowen and Sage's signals multiple times lately but they have always been alone. If they never come together, I doubt we will be able to find Cye and Ryo."

Mason smiled at her. "Good things come to those who wait," he reminded her.

She frowned. "Mason, it's almost been a year since we lost them. Do you really expect for one to randomly come by here?"

The mercenary shrugged. "Would be nice," he admitted.

"I doubt-" Something caught the woman's eye. "-you may be right, Mason." She pointed across the street. "There is Cye walking alone."

Mason looked where her slim finger was pointing. Sure enough a brunette was walking by with the bracelet that the Sorceress had given him shining in the sun. The teenager never looked around himself as he walked by where the 2 were sitting.

"Shall we take him?" The Sorceress asked.

The man wanted to say 'yes'. It was tempting but the mercenary inside him was saying _wait until you find the last before taking them back so they won't have time to defend themselves_.

"No," Mason told her. "We should wait until we find Ryo. Once that happens, we can take them back."

"We can at least watch him for a little bit, right?" The woman asked.

Mason nodded. "I'll pay for breakfast then we can follow the boy."

They left soon after they had finished talking. They kept far from the teenager that they were following until he came to a house. When he entered inside, Mason saw that there was a public building with a balcony where they could watch the place that Cye was at. Mason held out his arm to the woman and smiled at her. "Shall we?" He asked as he waved at the balcony that had caught his eye.

The Sorceress smiled. She took his offered arm. "Yes, please," she pleasantly said.

Mason led her inside the building and up to the balcony.

They spent the next several days watching their fourth target. As they watched Cye, they began to notice that he and the others tended to get together often. Ryo was the only one who wasn't there during the times that the other 4 were together.

As Mason and the Sorceress watched the Ronin Warriors they came to the conclusion that the best time to kidnap them again was when they were alone.

…

It was some time into the summer vacation and none of the Ronin Warriors had seen any sign of Mason or the Sorceress. They were starting to believe that maybe the 2 weren't able to find them.

Mia called the 5 teenagers when they were at Sage's house. This time Sage was the one who answered his cell phone.

"Mia?" Sage asked.

" _Is everyone else with you?_ " Mia asked.

Sage looked at the others in his bedroom. "Yeah, we're all here. Ryo just got over being sick."

" _Can you put me on speaker? I've got something to tell you guys_."

"Hold on a second." The blonde hit the speaker button. He held the phone in the middle of the circle that the 5 teenagers were sitting in. "Okay, it's on speaker."

" _I've got some good news_ ," Mia began.

Kento interrupted her before she could say anything else. "Did you find something on them?" He excitedly asked.

" _Yes…I've found something that might give me more information about them. If I can learn more about those things, I may have a clue on where to look for the answers I'm seeking_."

The 5 teenagers gave each other excited looks. _Maybe_ , they thought, _maybe there might be a possibility of getting the Sealing Marks and bracelets off_.

Zorra Reed: thanks for the review! Good luck on the fanfic!


	18. Looking Towards the Future

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 18**

 _Looking Towards the Future_

Ryo, Kento, Rowen, Sage and Cye were sitting in a booth in the corner of a fast food place. Hardrock had ordered the usual amount of food that seemed to take about half of the table they were sitting at.

"What do you think of Mia's news?" Cye asked.

Kento paused before taking a bite. "You mean about the possibility of removing them?"

The brunette nodded. "We've had them for about a year now," he reminded them. "Personally, I can't wait to be rid of them."

Rowen nodded. "I don't like the idea that my location can be so easily found. We don't even know when they might find us because of our bracelets. Besides, once our Sealing Marks are gone, we'll be able to better protect ourselves if she and Mason ever find us," Rowen reminded them.

"I think all of us want them off," Ryo pointed out as he played with one of his fries. "We're too exposed with them."

"Besides the fact that we can protect ourselves, we won't have to fight regular people anymore. We need our armors if we don't want to be Mason's personal army again," Cye reminded his friends.

"And without our bracelets, it would be almost impossible for Mason and her to find us," Rowen added.

"But there is always the possibility of them finding us," Ryo told the others.

"But we can stop them, Ryo, if we can use our armors again," Kento told the black-haired teenager.

"I don't like the idea of having to hide from them forever," Rowen stated.

"Then, what should we do, Rowen?" Ryo asked.

"I think we should return to Mason's estate-"

"Hold it, Rowen!" Kento protested. "I don't ever want to return there."

"But, why do you think we should return to Mason's estate after we're free of our Sealing Marks and bracelets?" Sage asked Strata.

"We need to confront Mason and her if we want them to leave us alone," Rowen explained.

"Rowen's right, Kento," Ryo told Hardrock, "if we want this to end, it needs to be done; we can't keep hiding forever."

"Is it wise to go back?" Cye asked. "It'd be easier for them to kidnap us if we confront them."

"We'll only do that after our Sealing Marks and bracelets are removed. If they try to kidnap us again, we'll be able to protect ourselves if needed."

…

Mason and the Sorceress were sitting on the opposite side of the fast food place eating their own food. They weren't close enough to hear what Ryo and the others were talking about. The only thing that was on their mind was the victory of finding the last Ronin Warrior. Now that they knew that all 5 of them were in Toyama, it was time for the next phase of their plan.

Neither of them followed the teenagers home when all 5 left the place. At this point, there was no need to. They had gotten the information that they had wanted. The idea that they needed to follow the black-haired teenager didn't come to them through their feeling of victory.

Mason and the Sorceress returned to their fancy hotel after they finished eating. They went to the mercenary's room to talk about what they would do next.

"How will we kidnap those boys?" The woman asked.

"When they're separate and alone; they will be harder to kidnap if they are together."

"I agree but how will it be done? There are 5 of them and only 2 of us."

"I will have some of my people to come here. They can kidnap all of them at the same time so that none of them can warn the others. If we do it ourselves, it can only be done one at a time. It will give the rest plenty of time to warn each other."

"Will I be helping?"

Mason shook his head. "No," he replied. "If I use my men to do the job, they won't know until I have them back."

"Then, I will let you take care of kidnapping those boys. They will be unable to use their armors because of the Sealing Marks that I had put around their necks."

"Let me make the call so we can have my men here as soon as possible."

Mason didn't wait for her approval. He grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and called home. He waited for someone to answer as the Sorceress just watched him.

"Get my men to come to Toyama, Japan," the man told the person on the other end of the line. "I'm taking back what is mine."

The mercenary hung up once the other end had promised to send his men to him.

"When are they coming?" The Sorceress asked.

"They'll be here soon," he answered. "Once they are here, we'll begin the preparations for taking them back."

…

 _Ryo was in the library searching for something he couldn't remember. He had been there for a while but no matter what he tried the reason that he had come there still eluded him. He knew that it was something important – something that had to be done_ right then _. He had a feeling that if he didn't find it soon, something bad would happen._

But what? _Ryo thought as his fingers went across the row of books that he was looking at. None of the titles stood out to him._

 _Paranoia was starting to bloom inside him the longer he was looking. He felt that someone was watching him but, for some reason, he was too scared look behind him. Something told him that whoever was watching him wasn't someone he wanted to see. The thought of finding who it was sent shivers down his spine. The feeling that he had done this before when he was thinking of a single person came to him but he couldn't remember who that person was._ Am I scared of who ever that is? _It was if he_ didn't _want to remember._

 _There were whispers from behind him. He knew that the female and male voices that he heard were familiar. A woman wearing a black dress came to his mind. He turned to see if the female was her. When he finally saw the 2 people he noticed that the woman was wearing a black dress and the man a black suit and blood red tie. Faint memories of fights went through his mind. He grabbed his head as he tried to push them back to their forgotten places._

 _"Do you see him?" The woman asked with a sweet smile._

 _The man nodded as his eyes never left the teenager. "Yes," he intoned, "I see him."_

…

Ryo woke up in a cold sweat the next morning. Fear was coursing through him for an unknown reason. He couldn't really remember his dream. All he could remember was feeling as if someone was watching him.

He rolled over with the intent to fall back asleep. There was no reason to be awake so early so, for a teenager, the only normal course of action would be to fall back asleep. He closed his eyes again only to see green and grey eyes watching him. His own shot open and he sat up.

"White Blaze?" He whispered. He didn't like the uncertainty that he heard in his voice.

There was a soft roar from close to his bed. He heard paws walking across his floor before he felt the side of his bed sink from the weight that the tiger's paws caused. He felt his tiger lick his face and Wildfire petted him. He took off his blanket and felt White Blaze move. He knew that his tiger understood that he wanted comfort. The animal laid on his side by the bed as Ryo stood while holding the blanket. The black-haired teenager lay against his tiger's side and covered up again. He felt White Blaze nuzzle him before he also settled down to go back to sleep.

It didn't take long for the teenager to return to dreamland.

…

Mason waited in the lobby for his men to arrive. It was the morning after he had called for them to come to Japan. He knew that they were arriving soon but it felt like it was taking too long. He couldn't wait to get the Ronin Warriors back.

When the mercenary's men finally came, everyone went to Mason's hotel room where the Sorceress was waiting. Once the door was shut, Mason began the 'meeting'. He told his men the information that he and the Sorceress had found when they had been looking for their targets.

"We will be taking them during the night," he informed his men. "The best time to do so would be when they are alone."

One of his men raised his hand. "How will we do that, sir? I heard that they are very strong."

"Did you bring the tranquilizer guns like I asked?" Mason asked the group.

Many of them nodded.

At this point, Mason had forgotten that Kento's tough skin had made it impossible for the darts to pierce it. It had been over a year since the purple-haired teenager had been kidnapped. Since he had disappeared with the others, Mason's mind had focused solely on finding all 5 Ronin Warriors. Some of the important details had been forgotten because of it.

…

 _Ryo was running. He couldn't remember why but something told him to get away from wherever he was before it was too late._

 _It was midday and the sun was blazing. He could feel the sweat on his body. How long he'd been running he didn't know._

 _He heard pounding footsteps behind him._ Two people _, he thought without looking back,_ one of them is wearing high heels _._

 _He ran around a corner. As he turned he saw a woman and a man out of the corner of his eye._ They look familiar _, he calmly thought. They looked familiar – like he had seen them many times – but could not for the life of him couldn't remember who they were. And yet, when he had seen the woman icy fear had gone down him as if he was afraid of her._

 _He turned another corner to lose his pursuers. He didn't want to get caught by them. Something told him that it had happened once before and had turned into a nightmare._ But why can't I remember what happened? _He thought._

 _He looked behind himself to see that the woman and man were still there. The one thing that seemed off was the fact that even though Ryo was running faster than normal people were able to, the 2 behind him were even closer than before. He could now see that the man was wearing a blood red tie and the woman's auburn hair was flowing behind her. The only thing that wasn't distinct for some reason, were their faces._

Go away _, Wildfire thought,_ don't kidnap me again _. His mind froze and went back to the word 'kidnap'. Why would he be afraid of being kidnapped? He had the Wildfire's soul inside him so he could protect himself if needed._ But why would that be needed? _He asked himself. He had never needed the Wildfire to protect himself except when he was fighting the enemy._

Faster, faster _, his mind seemed to chant with every step._

 _He had to stop when he felt the fire burning around his neck. His hand went to find whatever was causing it only to feel smooth skin. He found himself slowing down the hotter the burning sensation was._ I thought I couldn't be burned _, he thought as he struggled to keep moving. A single burned cheek swam into his mind._

Ryo… _, a soft female voice echoed in his mind._

Who are you? _He thought as he continued to run._

We've come to take you back _, the female voice replied._

Take me back? To where?

Mason's home _, she replied,_ it's time for you to come back to me.

 _"The Sorceress," he breathed._

…

Ryo was sitting in Cye's room that evening. He had been there with his friends for a little bit but Kento and the others could tell that Wildfire's mind wasn't in the same room.

"What's wrong, Ryo?" Sage finally asked.

The black-haired teenager blinked as if to bring himself out of his thoughts.

"I had a nightmare last night," he replied.

"What was it about?" Cye asked.

"She and Mason found me."

"You mean they kidnapped you in the nightmare?" Sage asked.

Ryo nodded. "It was right before I woke up."

Rowen looked around the room. "Anyone else ever had that type of dream?"

Kento shook his head.

"I don't really dream about that time," Cye admitted.

"I've never had a dream like that," Sage replied.

"Neither have I," Rowen said.

"That's not all of it," Ryo stated. "The night before, I had a dream that they had found me. They didn't kidnap me in that one."

"That is interesting," Sage commented. "It's as if Ryo's nightmare is a continuation of his dream."

"How can that be?" Kento asked.

"The Sorceress and Mason found Ryo in his dream and the nightmare of them kidnapping him happened the next night. It's as if they're connected."

"I thought you weren't superstitious," Kento commented.

"After last summer, it's kind of hard to not believe in the supernatural."

"Well," Rowen said, "I think I want to play a game. Any suggestions?"

Kento grinned. He turned to Torrent. "Hey, Cye, didn't you get a new video game recently?"

"Yeah, but I haven't opened it yet," the brunette replied.

"Perfect," the purple-haired teenager stated. "Then you can't cheat."

"I can't cheat on that type of game!" Cye protested.

Wildfire smiled. "Sure, we all know that you can't," he told his brunette friend. He didn't even know if you could cheat on a video game.

Kento stood. "Where is it?" He excitedly asked. Ryo could see Hardrock rubbing his hands in glee inside his mind.

Cye sighed. "I'll get it," he told his purple-haired friend. The teenager stood and went to his collection of video games he kept in his room. He pulled out an unopened one and handed it to Kento.

Hardrock opened the box and took out the disk. He went to the TV in Cye's room and put it in the console. "Who's first?" He asked.

"I think I will," Rowen stated. He got up and went to sit next to Kento in front of the TV. He grabbed the controller. "Who's first?" He asked as he looked behind himself.

"Might as well," Ryo answered as he stood. He sat beside Strata and grabbed the second controller.

The game was a 4-person one so Kento and Cye also joined the other 2. For a long time they took turns playing until way after dark. Ryo eventually called it to a close.

…

Mason handed out 5 trackers to his men. All of them were dressed in black with a tranquilizer gun on their belt.

"Remember," the mercenary told them, "I do not want them damaged. Do you understand?" His men nodded. "The boys right now are at Cye's house. I want you to go there and follow them until each are alone. Once they are, I want you to kidnap them. I want them tonight. You'll have plenty of time since Cye's house is far from the others."

"Yes, sir," some of them said.

"Then go get them. Once you have one, bring him back here."

Mason's men left their employer's hotel room. They left the hotel and as a single group went to where the Ronin Warriors were located.

…

Cye walked with his friends after they had left his house.

"So movie tomorrow?" Kento asked.

Ryo nodded. "Sure." He looked at the other 3. "Are you guys fine with that?"

"What type of movie?" Cye asked as he walked beside Rowen.

"Action; there's one I've been wanting to see," Halo immediately replied.

"Why not that sci-fi one?" Kento asked. "I heard it was good."

"You heard it from the rumors at school," Sage pointed out.

"Why not watch the one that's about the mercenary who's trying to find something?" Cye asked.

Ryo shuddered. "Not that one," he stated. He felt that it hit a little too close to home. After Mason and the Sorceress, he didn't want to watch a movie like that.

"We need to decide on something," Rowen stated.

"Then which one?" The black-haired teenager asked. "There are a lot of good ones out right now."

"If it's the one I'm thinking of, Sage's one sounds good," Rowen replied.

"Why don't we just meet there and take a look at what's playing?" Cye asked. "It's probably the easiest."

"Then the usual one?" Kento asked.

The other 4 nodded.

They reached the place that they usually split up. Cye waved bye as he turned to go back home. Rowen and Sage went in different directions. Kento grabbed Ryo's arm and hauled him towards where the purple-haired teenager lived.

"Hey!" Ryo protested.

"You forgot something at my place," Kento explained as he continued to drag Wildfire, "thought you might like it back."

The black-haired teenager followed his friend. He couldn't remember what he had left behind at Hardrock's house. It had been a long time since he had last been there so it was possible he had forgotten what it was.

None of the 5 teenagers saw the many people far behind them who split into 4 groups. The one with the larger amount of people followed Kento and Ryo.

…

Cye was walking along the river. It was a slight detour but he wanted to see the body of water. He hadn't seen if for a while and had been missing the sight of it. It may have been dark but hearing the running water was enough to sooth his longing. It had been around a year since he had lost the connection to the Torrent's soul and it hadn't gotten any better. He didn't think that it'd even get better until his Sealing Mark was gone.

There was a sound behind him. He stopped and looked behind him. He tried to look through the darkness but could not see anything out of the ordinary. _I'm getting paranoid_ , the brunette told himself as he started walking again. _Ever since we came home we've been worried that Mason and the Sorceress will find us_. He tried to tell himself that everything was fine but he could not shake off the feeling of being watched.

…

The people who were following Cye stayed out of sight. The Sorceress had warned them to not get into any confrontations with the Ronin Warriors. She had told them about their abnormal strength and had made sure that they understood that they would always lose if they ever confronted the 5 teenagers for any reason.

Mason's men knew that the Sorceress wasn't one to joke around. If she said that those 5 teenagers were abnormally strong, they knew it was the truth. She may be odd because of the things that she could do but she had never lied before.

…

Cye felt the need to get home as fast as possible. The feeling of being watched wasn't going away even though he had looked behind himself again to make sure that nothing was wrong.

There was a breeze that went by his cheek as he took the first running step. His eyes went to the ground to see a dart sticking into it at his feet. He whipped behind himself to see who had fired it.

"You _idiot_ ," someone whispered from behind him. "You missed the target. He was supposed to be put to sleep without knowing that he had been hit."

"It isn't my fault! He started moving _right after_ I fired it!" Another argued.

Cye abandoned the idea of running. _I guess I'm going to be swimming away from them_ , he thought. Because it was nighttime, the river's water was dark so Cye would not be seen once he dived into it.

He ran the many steps between himself and the water. He took a deep breath and dived. He immediately started swimming with the current. It didn't take him long to get out of the range of the tranquilizer guns.

…

On the shore, Mason's men stood where the brunette had dived. Their eyes roamed the river trying to find a sign of the missing teenager. They knew that a person couldn't hold their breath for long. They expected to see Cye come to the surface for air but no one came up.

"We've lost our target," one of them commented.

Another hit the person who had missed Cye upside the head. "Because of you, we couldn't kidnap the target," the person berated.

…

Cye eventually came up for air. When he looked around himself as he treaded water, he saw that he was at the edge of the city. _I swam a long ways_ , he thought. _It's a good thing that I have a much bigger lung capacity. If I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to get far enough away from those people before coming up for air_.

He swam to the shore and out of the water.

"The problem is that I can't go back home," he muttered to himself. "I'll have to go to Mia's place like promised when we had come home." He started running in the direction he needed. "It's a good thing that it's close by."

…

Sage didn't like darkness; being surrounded by nothing but blackness unnerved him. His soul and armor always craved the light. Even before he had gone to America, it had always been like this. The only thing that changed was that the craving for the sunlight became worse. It had become the only thing that helped soothe the longing for his element.

His fingers were around the small flashlight he kept in his pocket. It was almost as if he was reassuring himself as if he was a little child afraid of the dark. The street that he was walking down was the quickest way home but the non-existent streetlights made him nervous. He could feel that people were watching him but in the darkness, he couldn't see who it was.

He silently pulled the small flashlight out of his pocket. He covered the lens with one hand and turned it on with the other. He focused on the light that the object emitted. Through his fingers he saw the light start dimming. Once it was dimmed enough, he took his hand away and pointed the light down. He continued dimming it until it was only light enough to see where he was going.

He knew that returning home wasn't an option now. He didn't want to lead whoever was following him to his family. He didn't want to get them involved in his problem. He remembered the promise that Mia had made them give when they had arrived home. He hadn't ever really forgotten about it. Knowing that Mason and the Sorceress were after him and his friends had kept that promise from being forgotten. _It's been almost a year and I still remember it_ , the blonde commented.

Halo heard pounding feet being him. He quickly turned down a side street and started running to the edge of the city. As he ran he saw a dark object in his path. He jumped over it almost as if he was sailing then continued on his path. There was a curse behind him when someone stumbled over it. The blonde stopped and looked behind him. There were a handful of people running after him.

His eyes scanned around him looking for some place to hide. If he could find one, he could wait until whoever was chasing him went back.

The blonde saw a dark opening to the side. He ran for it and ducked inside. Then he turned off the light and waited.

"He's still nearby," Sage heard one of them say. "His tracking chip is close."

Halo looked at his bracelet. _I'd forgotten about this_ , he thought. The blonde hadn't thought about the fact that his tracking bracelet made it impossible to hide from any pursuers that Mason and the Sorceress might send.

He looked above himself. Dark edges of rooftops were above him. _Why does it seem that it always to come back to roof-hoping lately whenever I'm trying to run?_

Sage jumped up. He landed on a building's roof and then began running. Unlike last time when he had been running after he had been rescued, the teenager didn't run as fast as possible. This time the aim was to not draw attention from the ones that were chasing him. He ran as quietly as he could as he tried not to make noise.

The teenager could hear people chasing him a little ways away. He could tell that he was slowly losing them from the distance of their confused voices. _I'm sure they weren't expecting that I can do this_ , he thought with a smile. _The ability to jump a lot higher than others comes in handy_.

Sage almost had to catch himself when he stumbled on a loose roof tile. His heartbeat froze as he listened to the loud crash that it made when it hit the ground. The blonde cursed his bad luck and started running as fast as possible. He needed to get out of there since that noise would have told anyone where he was.

He jumped over a street and onto another roof. He ran down the line of buildings a ways and jumped over a wide street. He ran down the almost-straight line of buildings as he tried to lose those who were following him. Eventually, Sage jumped across another street and then immediately another. He kept repeating the process in hopes that it would make following him impossible.

He didn't slow for a long time. When he was sure he had lost those who were following him, he stopped.

 _Mia's place is over there_ , he thought as his eyes went to the side. He turned and made a beeline for the edge of the city.

…

Rowen walked in the darkness without being bothered by it. He didn't have his blonde friend's dislike of the dark. In a way he felt pretty comfortable. Everything was as stark as if sunlight was glaring on it. Even the uneven ground was completely seeable. Because of this, he wasn't afraid of being ambushed. He would see the enemy coming a lot earlier than they could see him.

There was a soft curse behind him.

" _Shhh_!" Someone whispered. "You need to be quiet or the target might hear you."

The blue-haired teenager knew who the 'target' was. He was sure that Mason was looking for the Ronin Warriors. _I don't want to be kidnapped again_ , Strata thought, _no matter what happens I don't want to be kidnapped again_.

Rowen ducked into a small side street. He was careful as he walked down it so that he would not make any sounds.

"The boy's nearby," the blue-haired teenager heard from a little ways away. "It's showing that it's moving down the street to our left."

Rowen picked up speed a little without any sound. He didn't want whoever was following him to hear where he was at. Even when he came to a part of the street that was bathed in complete darkness, he still didn't slow down. Why should he? Even that darkness was no different than what was surrounding him with his eyesight.

There was a small alleyway to the left of him whose entrance was swallowed in the complete darkness he was now running through. The teenager went inside. He walked in the darkness as he listened for any sign that he was still being pursued. He wasn't worried about tripping over something or even running into anything. The clarity of his surroundings had never diminished.

There was a sound coming from behind him. He ducked in time to feel the breeze of something going over his head. The sound that was made reminded Rowen of the sound he had heard before waking up in Mason's estate. _Tranquilizers_ , he remembered.

His feet landed on a rooftop above him without him falling. He didn't wait for anything before he started running.

He had been walking in the area of the city that was filled with a lot of skyscrapers. Because of this, when he jumped across a street, his feet hit the edge of one of them before he jumped to another. He kept repeating the process as he climbed the buildings. When he reached the top of one, he began jumping from one skyscraper to another as if he was jumping onto one story buildings. He wasn't afraid of missing one. When he came to a street, he just jumped over it without pausing.

Once he was sure that he had lost his pursuers, he turned to go to Mia's place. Since Mason's men had found him, he knew that going home was out of the option. He would put his family at risk if he did.

…

Kento and Ryo were walking to Kento's house. Hardrock lived far from Cye's house. They weren't walking in the direction of Mia's place since Ryo lived on the other side of the city because of White Blaze and Kento's family owned a restaurant near the middle of town.

The purple-haired teenager could feel the vibrations of multiple feet walking through the ground. He wasn't all that worried since he was in a city that always had people making those vibrations. It was something he had come to not pay attention to unless it was during a fight. It didn't do any good trying to 'listen' when he was in a city full of people.

Because Kento wasn't worried, he didn't tell Ryo that he felt people moving behind them through the ground. Instead, Ryo was trying to get his purple-haired friend to tell him what Wildfire had left behind at his house. The black-haired teenager didn't stop trying until he heard something coming towards Kento. Automatically, almost as if he wasn't really thinking, Ryo pushed Kento out of the way. Wildfire barely saw the projectile coming.

"Kento, watch out!" Ryo urgently warned before it hit him.

Hardrock had to catch his friend as he began to fall.

"Ryo?" Kento asked.

Ryo didn't respond.


	19. Hiding

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 19**

 _Hiding_

Kento saw the dart sticking out of the back of Ryo's shoulder. _He must have been hit by a tranquilizer_ , he realized. _I have to get him to Mia's before anything can be done about it. I don't have time to waste_.

Kento quickly picked up his unconscious friend in his arms. As he settled Wildfire into a bridal-style position, déjà vu washed over him. It was too similar to what he had done at Mason's estate. He didn't like the familiarity of holding Ryo in his arms.

It was impossible for Kento to run quietly with Ryo in his arms. Instead of worrying about the noise that he was making, the purple-haired teenager focused on the vibrations of running feet he felt through the ground. He picked up some speed when he realized just how _close_ those people were to them. He would have gone faster, except carrying Wildfire made it impossible to run as fast as possible.

Because they had been walking in the opposite direction of Mia's place, Hardrock had to go back the way that he had come. He cursed the fact that Mia didn't live on the same side of the city that Ryo did. _Cye's_ house was closer to her place than any of the others.

As Kento ran through the streets he wished that Rowen was with him. Having his blue-haired friend's night-vision would have been helpful at this point. Kento and the rest didn't have eyesight like Strata's.

"Over there!" The purple-haired teenager heard from close behind him.

Hardrock could just hear make-believe barking dogs running with his pursuers. _Is this how hunted animals feel when they are being chased by hunters and their dogs?_ The teenager's heartbeat was faster than normal from the fear of being caught. If it was Mason's men who were after them then, if Kento was caught, the Sorceress would get Ryo back. _I can't let that happen_ , he thought.

He whipped around the corner to a cross street. He jumped over some forgotten trashcan and continued on. Even though it had been a while since Ryo had been hit by that tranquilizer, Kento couldn't lose his pursuers. _What is going on?_ He thought as he jumped over a sleeping man. _I can't seem to lose them_.

There was a curse and then a "watch where you're going, fool!" behind him.

Kento's arms instinctively tightened around his unconscious friend. His knees bent in front of a house and he jumped high into the air. He landed on the rooftop without dropping Ryo. Hardrock immediately took off running again. He had to lose his pursuers before he could go to Mia's place. Using an advantage that only the Ronin Warriors had would help him do so. Normal people couldn't roof-hop like he and his friends.

He kept moving as he jumped over streets until he almost lost his grip on Ryo. He paused where he had landed and began rearranging his hands so he could more securely hold onto the black-haired teenager as he ran.

Kento could still hear those running after him on the streets below. From the noise of their voices, they were getting closer.

"The boys' tracking chips are still showing on the radar," a new voice said.

 _How many people are chasing me?_ Kento asked as he finished his task. He began running again as he kept track of the distance between him and his pursuers. Hardrock's arms tightened around his friend's body before he jumped onto the ground again. He ran down the street that went by a huge park. Once he was past it, he returned to running on the rooftops.

The purple-haired teenager didn't know how long it was before he stopped hearing the people following him. To make sure that he had lost them, he jumped onto the ground again and just stood there concentrating. _No movement, no sound; I must have lost them_ , he thought. He looked behind himself to check visually. _No light_ , he finished.

"Hey, Ryo," Kento whispered above Wildfire's head. "Are you awake yet?" There wasn't any response from the person that he was holding. _Wonder how much longer he'll be asleep_ , he thought.

Hardrock returned to running on the roofs. Like this he didn't need to worry about having to run through the streets; using the buildings, he could make a beeline for Mia's place. The only problem that he had was the distance he still had to go to get to the edge of the city that was closest to her. He would have to run a long way before he reached it. _Might as well get going_ , he thought with a mental sigh. He needed to get Ryo somewhere that wouldn't be easy for them to find until he woke up.

He began running on the rooftops again. When he finally reached the last building at the edge of Toyama, he jumped onto the ground and headed to Mia's place. Ryo was still unconscious at this point.

…

Rowen was patrolling the area around Mia's place. Sage and Cye had reached her after him so he was giving them time to rest before letting one take over watch. _Where are Kento and Ryo though?_ He was worried about the last 2 Ronin Warriors as neither had shown up.

The sound of someone moving through the woods caught Strata's attention. _Did Mason's men find us?_ He thought. He silently moved to the noise, being careful not to hit any branches, to check it out.

Rowen had never felt so relieved when the person came into view.

"Kento, you made it, buddy!" The blue-haired teenager exclaimed. The smile that had spread on his face disappeared when he saw who Hardrock was carrying. "Why are you carrying Ryo?"

"I think Mason's men found us," Kento explained as he came closer. "Ryo took the tranquilizer for me. He's been unconscious for a while now."

"That's something he'd definitely do," Rowen commented.

Kento and Rowen walked to Mia's place. Strata opened the front door and the purple-haired teenager walked inside. The door was closed behind Rowen.

"Kento and Ryo are here!" The blue-haired teenager called out. "Ryo's unconscious right now."

Mia came running from the dining room. "Bring him to the table," she quickly told the 2 teenagers. Kento followed both Rowen and Mia to the table. Rowen helped Kento place Ryo on his stomach on top of it. "Where was he hit?" She asked.

Kento rolled Ryo onto his side. He pointed to the dart sticking out of the back of Ryo's shoulder. The young woman's fingers wrapped around the object and she gently started moving it.

There was a pained noise from Ryo and the teenager's face became pained until Mia was able to pull it out. She placed it on the table beside her unconscious friend and turned to the other 4 who had come around the table.

"I think one of you should take him to his bed," she told them.

Kento picked up the black-haired teenager again and, with Sage following behind, took Ryo upstairs. When they reached the room that was Ryo's, Sage pulled the blanket to the side so that Wildfire could be put on the bed. Hardrock removed his friend's shoes once he had laid him down. The blonde covered the sleeping teenager. Once that was done, both of them left the bedroom. When they returned to the dining room, they took 2 of the chairs at the table.

"It's like déjà vu right now," Cye commented. "We used to do this type of thing after Ryo was brought back to our prison."

"What happened?" Mia asked.

"I was found by people who were using the tracking chip in my bracelet," Rowen explained.

"Same here," Sage added.

"The same thing happened to me to," Kento told everyone.

"I was almost hit by something when it happened," Cye informed the others.

"That must mean that Mason and the Sorceress have found you," Mia realized. "You were almost kidnapped again."

"Then what do we do now?" Cye asked.

"You can't go back home right now. You need to stay here to protect yourselves until I can find a way to remove your bracelets and Sealing Marks. All of you should call home to let your parents know you'll be staying at a friend's house for a while."

The 4 teenagers left the dining room to do as Mia had said. Soon after they left, they returned to where Mia was waiting for them.

"How did it go?" She asked once everyone was seated again.

"Perfect," Kento replied.

"My parents told me to 'have fun'," Cye replied with a small smile. Everyone could see the humor of those words. How can they have fun? They were _hiding_.

"I didn't have any problem convincing my parents to let me stay," Sage said.

"And Rowen?" Mia asked.

"They said its fine," the blue-haired teenager replied.

"What about Ryo?" Kento asked. "He's not awake yet."

"I'll have him call after he wakes up," Mia replied.

"How long do you think he'll be asleep?" Cye asked.

"I don't know, Cye," Mia answered, "I don't know how strong the tranquilizer that had been used is. All we can do is wait for him to wake up."

…

 _Ryo didn't understand why she had brought him back here when she had already failed. Didn't she know that it would be the same no matter how many times she tried?_

 _The woman was standing at one of the many tables in the room. One of the many open books on it was in front of her and her finger was moving across the pages as she was reading it. Her finger eventually stopped moving and she grabbed something that looked like a syringe to set beside the book. It wasn't until she began mixing liquids together that the fear came._ This is different than last time _, he thought as he watched her._ What is she going to do now? _He didn't know why she was doing this or even why he was the only one there. If it was the same as last time, wouldn't she want the others as well?_

 _She came to him holding the syringe and a bowl of liquid. She sat them out of his reach and grabbed his shoulder._

 _"Be a good boy and don't move," she sweetly said._

 _He stared at her._ Don't move? _He thought._

 _The syringe went to the side of his neck. Before he could react, he felt a pinprick. There was a strange coldness that was pushed into his bloodstream then the needle was removed. She put more liquid in it and repeated the process. She didn't stop until it was gone._

 _The woman's fingers left Ryo's neck. She touched both of his cheeks and closed her eyes. Ryo felt nothing even as her eyebrows furrowed. She eventually opened her eyes and let him go. She returned to the table and made a new batch of mixed liquids that he still didn't recognize._

 _She returned with the refilled bowl and syringe. She knelt in front of him again and put the objects in her hands out of his reach. Her slim fingers went back to his neck and she began the shots again. This time Ryo felt a little nauseous. When she finally finished the teenager watched her close her eyes again. When he saw her eyebrow furrow again he was sure he knew what was going to happen next._

 _The woman returned to her tables and, for the third time, made another batch of liquid. Even this time was different than the last 2. She repeated the process on his neck then touched his cheeks again. He heard her curse softly then returned to the table to repeat the process again. This kept happening until she finally gave up. At this point, Ryo was feeling queasy. He wanted to hold his stomach to hopefully alleviate the feeling._

 _She went to the door and opened it._

 _"Come take him back to his prison," she told someone who Ryo couldn't see._

…

Ryo opened his eyes to the sun shining on the wall opposite of his bed. He looked around the room and recognized it was the one that he and White Blaze always shared when they were at Mia's.

 _How did I get here?_ He thought as he sat up. The last he remembered was walking to Kento's house with Hardrock. He had seen something coming for his friend and had acted on instinct. He remembered warning the purple-haired teenager before everything went black. _Is Kento okay? Was he hurt when he brought me here?_ He tried to remember anything about those who had ambushed them. _Who were they anyway?_ He wondered. He didn't know of anyone besides Mason and the Sorceress that wanted him and his friends.

He got out of bed and put his shoes back on. As he walked to his bedroom door he thought _did everyone make it here?_ He was sure that if he and Kento had been ambushed than the other 3 had to of been as well.

When he arrived downstairs, he saw that Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye were lounging in the living room. Wildfire stood at the foot of the stairs and looked them over. None of them looked hurt.

Kento was the first to see Ryo. "Hey, Ryo finally woke up, guys!" He told the others.

Cye and the rest looked to where Kento was looking.

"How are you feeling, Ryo," Cye worriedly asked. It had taken all night for the black-haired teenager to sleep off the tranquilizer.

"I'm fine, Cye," Ryo answered. He didn't say anything about his nightmare. "Where's Mia?"

"She's looking for a way to remove our Sealing Marks and bracelets right now," Rowen replied.

"What will we do now that Mason and the Sorceress found us living in Toyama?" Sage asked. "We're still wearing the Sealing Marks and bracelets that she gave us."

"We'll have to stay here for now," Ryo answered. "We'll have an easier time protecting ourselves if we stick together. Mason and her will have a more difficult time kidnapping us again if we're together until they're removed." Ryo sat beside Sage on the couch. "We'll have to be on high alert since they could come for us anytime."

"Maybe we should take turns keeping watch at night," Rowen suggested. "They could come for us at night."

"I think that's a good idea," Ryo said. "It'll only be the 5 of us keeping watch since Mia doesn't have a mystical armor like us."

"But we can't wear our armors right now because of the Sealing Marks," Cye reminded everyone.

"Cye, we aren't completely helpless without our armors," Ryo reminded him.

…

Mason was _furious_.

"How can you let those boys get away!?" Mason almost yelled at his men. "I sent you to _bring them_ to me not _lose them_!"

The Sorceress was sitting in one of the chairs beside the table as she watched her employer bawl-out his men. She hadn't said anything since this began as she felt the mercenary was doing a fine job of it without her help.

"But, sir, it was almost as if they could fly," one tried to explain.

"People can't _fly_ ," Mason almost hissed.

"But how can you explain what they had done last night?" the person continued. "They were going _over_ buildings."

"Don't make excuses," the mercenary shot back. "You made a miserable mistake that will cost me a fortune."

His men didn't say anything. They knew just how much he loved making money.

"Mason," the woman behind him said, "we did a miscalculation. We hadn't thought that those boys could escape by almost-seemly vanishing from Toyama."

Mason took a deep, calming breath. "Watch their houses," he told his men, "they will have to return home eventually. Once they do, kidnap them." He looked at each of his men. "Do not fail me this time. Remember what happens when someone does."

The mercenary sent the men to their own rooms. Once they were gone, he sat in the other chair.

"What will you do if they never return home?" The Sorceress asked.

"I know they will return," Mason replied, "they have nowhere else to go."

…

Mia and Cye made dinner for everyone that night. As all 6 ate, she updated them on her progress.

"I haven't found anything more on them," she informed her boys.

Kento swallowed. "Do you think there may not be any more information, Mia?"

"It's never impossible to remove something," she reminded him again. "I'm sure there is a way to remove your Sealing Marks and bracelets."

"But what if there _isn't_?"

Ryo shivered. He didn't want to think of that. If he could never get them off, there was always a possibility of the Sorceress finding him again. He didn't want to go back to that hellish time.

"Ryo, are you okay?" Cye asked. "You might be cold."

Mia's place was on the cooler side. With 5 more bodies inside it, the young woman had felt that it might be too hot to keep it at the temperature that it was normally at.

Sage touched Ryo's hand. "His skin's not cold," he stated.

Mia gave the black-haired teenager a worried look. "Do you think I should turn up the temperature?" She knew that Wildfire had a problem with cold. It was one of the first things she had learned about him.

Ryo shook his head. "I'm fine, guys," he stated.

Wildfire was silent through the rest of the meal. When he finished eating, he went to the living room. He was soon joined by Rowen and Kento. Sage and Cye were in the kitchen helping Mia clean up.

"We should make a schedule for when one of us keep watch during the night," Rowen suggested.

Ryo nodded. Strata left to find some paper and a pencil. When he returned he sat them on the coffee table. By the time the list had been finished, Sage and Cye joined them in the living room. Sage sat beside Ryo on one couch and Cye sat beside Kento.

"Ryo, Kento and I made a watch schedule," Rowen explained when he saw them reading what he had written on the paper. "We'll each be doing a 3-hour watch."

"Who has the first one?" Cye asked.

"I do," the blue-haired teenager answered. "Sage has the second and Kento has the third."

"Each of us will take a turn watching the place while everyone else sleeps. The one with the third watch will also do it the next night. I don't want any of us to tire out from this," Ryo explained.

"Not a bad idea," Cye agreed.

"Well," Kento said as his arms went across the back of the couch, "what are we going to do before we go to bed? We've still got a couple of more hours at least."

Mia walked into the living room. "I'm going to research a little more tonight. Why don't you play that video game that you guys brought last time?"

Kento's eyes widened. "I can't believe I forgot about it. I've been missing that thing for a while." He stood and raced out of the room. He came back a few minutes later with the game and a consol in his hands. He set them up and grabbed a controller. "Who's going to play the first round?"

Ryo, Sage and Rowen grabbed a controller. Mia left them alone and went back to her grandfather's study. She had some time to kill before going to bed. She stayed late into the night on the computer. By the time she went to bed, everyone but Sage had fallen asleep.

…

The next few days passed with Mia researching and the teenagers guarding the place at night. The young woman had quickly noticed the peculiar habits that her boys had picked up since their return from America. She had asked once and had been told that they missed their armors and it was the closest thing that they could come to their elements. She didn't really understand their reasons but had left it alone after that.

Cye brought Mia her lunch again. He sat it beside the computer and left to grab his friends. Since they weren't helping Mia, the brunette made them come to the table to eat.

The brunette woman put the empty plate to the side when she was finished eating. Her fingers were clasped in front of her mouth. _I can't find anything more_ , she thought as she stared at the computer screen, _I'm running out of ideas_.

Mia was not a superstitious person by nature. She hadn't even believed that a person could have supernatural powers until her boys' current situation. Because of this, she didn't know where else to look. She was starting to run out of ideas.

 _Oh, grandfather_ , she thought, _help me find the answer. If I can't find the answer, this will never end_.

 _Mia…_ , she heard him whisper, _when you can't find something ask for help_.

The brunette woman's eyes moved to the phonebook that her grandfather had always kept next to the computer. Over the years, as he had gotten to know his colleagues at work, he had started keeping a phone book of their numbers for times like this. _Why had I forgotten about that?_ She asked as her hands went to pick it up. She sat it on the keyboard and opened it up. As her eyes roamed through the list, she tried to remember the classes that those people had taught. She knew that there had been classes on superstitions and legends of supernatural things but couldn't recall who had taught them. It took a while but when her finger went across Dr. Wadsworth's name, she remembered the class on the superstitions of different cultures.

The phone rang several times before a woman's voice answered.

" _This is Dr. Wadsworth speaking. May I ask who is calling?_ "

"My name is Mia Koji. I'd like to ask you something."

" _Ah, Dr. Koji's granddaughter_ ," The woman on the other end said with delight. " _How are you doing? I haven't seen either of you for a while_."

"Well, my grandfather died a couple of years ago and I've been busy with things since then," Mia explained.

" _I'm sorry to hear that. Dr. Koji was such a nice man. How can I help you?_ "

Mia took a silent breath before beginning. "I was wondering if you ever heard of a mark that can stop a person's ability to do something."

" _Can you explain a little more?_ "

"I read about something called a Sealing Mark and it had caught my interest."

" _Well, there are legends of a Sealing Mark that can stop a person from being able to do something_."

Mia's heart started racing. _Finally_ , she thought, _I may have found a breakthrough_. "Is there a way to remove it?"

" _I'm not sure of the answer_ ," Dr. Wadsworth replied, " _I'll have to look through my things to find the answer. It's been a while_."

Mia wasn't done yet as she still had the second problem to solve. "Do you know about an unknown metal that can't be cut by a jeweler's tools?"

" _Is something going on, Mia?_ " Dr. Wadsworth slowly asked. The young woman could hear the suspicion in the other's voice.

"Oh, no!" Mia lightly said. "I just came across a book about the Sealing Mark and that metal and it had caught my interest."

" _There are people who are called sorcerers and sorceresses who can make a special metal that only they can break_."

"Is there no other way than having a sorcerer or sorceress break it?"

" _The legends of those people are peculiar as everything dealing with the supernatural such as a Sealing Mark can only be done by a sorcerer or sorceress. It's said that regular people cannot even touch things such as charms. The story goes that only those with supernatural powers can touch them."_

 _This is it_ , Mia thought with a thrill, _this is what I've been looking for_. She was completely sure that the professor might actually have the answers that had been eluding Mia for a year.

" _Remember, Mia_ ," Dr. Wadsworth warned, " _different cultures have different things that a sorcerer and sorceress are said to be able to do. Not all cultures know about things like Sealing Marks or how to remove them_."

"I understand," Mia said.

" _I will look up the information that you want._ "

Mia smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Wadsworth."

The young woman hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair. Her mind replayed the conversation. If everything went well, she would have the answers that she had been seeking soon. The brunette woman couldn't stop the smile that came. _I have to tell the others_ , she thought.

She left her grandfather's study and went to find her boys. When she came into the living room, she saw Ryo sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace. He was staring blankly into the fire as if his mind was somewhere else. She sat on the couch behind him.

"What are you thinking about, Ryo?" She asked.

The black-haired teenager's eyes never left the fire. "The future," he replied. "What will we do if we can't ever get rid of our Sealing Marks and tracking bracelets?"

Mia enthusiastically clapped her hands once. "I have some good news!"

Ryo turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"I just called one of the professors at the college who specializes in the supernatural. I asked her about your Sealing Marks and the metal of your bracelets."

"Won't she realize that you've seen those things?"

"I'm sure that she thinks I'm just curious since I said I found them in a book. I never told her I have actually seen them." Mia stood. "I want to tell the others about this."

"I'll help you get them to come here," Ryo said as he also stood.

The black-haired teenager and Mia left to find the rest of the group.

Ryo went to the lake nearby. He scanned the water's surface for the brunette. He was pretty sure that Cye was still swimming as that was what he had been mostly doing during the day since they arrived. He would have actually gotten into the water to find his friend except the water was always cool. He spotted Torrent a ways away from him. "Come to the living room! Mia wants to tell you guys something!" He yelled. He didn't have to worry about being heard; with they're abnormal hearing ability, he knew that Cye had heard him.

Cye swam to the edge of the lake. He got out of the water. As Ryo went to find another one of his friends, the brunette returned to Mia's place to dry off and change into his clothes while waiting for the rest.

Mia was sure she would find Sage in the sunniest spot near her place. When she reached it, Sage and Kento were talking while sitting in the sunlight. The young woman went to both of them.

"Why don't you come back to the living room," she told them. "There's something I want to tell everyone."

Sage looked at the sky. Mia could see the longing that the blonde was trying to mask. She felt bad for the teenager. He had spent a year without the connection to the Halo's soul. She couldn't begin to imagine just how much he and the others missed their armors.

"Come on, man," Kento said with a smile as he stood. He cracked his back. "You can always come back afterwards."

Halo nodded. He also stood and followed the other 2 back to Mia's place. When they arrived Cye was already waiting for everyone in the living room. The other 3 sat on the couches and waited for the last 2 to come.

Ryo knew that finding Rowen wasn't going to be as easy as the rest. It wasn't night yet so there was nowhere the blue-haired teenager could go to get close to his element. Instead, Wildfire would have to go looking for him. When he finally found Strata, the teenager was sitting in a tree's shade while looking at the lake.

"Mia wants to tell us something," Ryo said when he was standing beside his friend. "She wants us to come to the living room to hear it."

Rowen nodded. He stood and both of them went back inside. When they reached the living room, the rest were already waiting for them. Rowen sat on one of the couches and Ryo returned to sitting on the floor. This time his back was facing the fireplace as he opted to look at Mia as she talked.

"I called a professor at the college I work at," she began. "I couldn't find any more information on your Sealing Marks and bracelets and I was running out of ideas of where to look. This professor specializes in the supernatural so she could give me the answers I've been looking for. She's looking for answers to my questions right now. She'll call me when she finds them."

Kento punched the air with his right fist with a smile. "Finally!"

Rowen put a hand on Hardrock's arm. "Cool it, Kento," he told his purple-haired friend. "Mia hasn't actually gotten the answers yet."

"But what will we do once Mia gets her answers?" Cye asked.

"Well, it depends," Mia answered. "If we have to find someone, I don't know where to begin looking. If we have to have certain tools, I don't know where to get them."

"So, basically, we don't know what our next step is until the professor calls back, right?" Rowen asked.

Mia nodded. "Exactly; at this point there's too many different ways this could go."

Ryo raised his hand as if he were in class. "What if only the Sorceress can take them off?" He asked. "She is the one who put on both remember. For all we know only the one who put them on can take them off."

"I hope not," Sage said. "I don't want to see her again."

Kento's growling stomach interrupted their conversation. "When's lunch?" Kento asked.

Mia smiled at the normalcy of it. They were talking about the supernatural and Kento had to ask about food. "You just ate breakfast recently," she reminded Hardrock.

"But I'm hungry _now_ ," the purple-haired teenager protested.

"You can wait an hour or 2 before eating lunch," Cye told him.

"I'll be long dead by the time you make lunch," Kento complained.

"Why don't you go get a snack or something," Rowen suggested.

Kento _beamed_. He jumped to his feet and ran to the kitchen while chanting "food, food, food, food!"

Sage quietly left to return to where he and Kento had been when Mia had come to them. Cye grabbed a book to read in the living room. He was tired from swimming for so long and had decided to rest a little before returning to it. Rowen stayed in the living room while Ryo just turned around to face the still-going fire.

"Don't you ever get too hot sitting so close?" Rowen eventually asked.

The black-haired teenager shook his head. "I can't feel the difference in heat, Rowen," he reminded Strata.

"It's still not good for you to sit in front of a fire even if you can't feel the heat from it." Rowen pointed at Ryo's shirt. "You've been sweating from being in front of it for a long time."

Ryo looked down. He saw that his shirt was really damp from all of the sweat that had poured off his body.

"How about you take a shower to get the sweat off your body," Rowen suggested. Wildfire stood. "I'll be there soon to help make sure that the water isn't too cold."

"Thanks," Ryo said before he left to go get some of the clothes he had left in his bedroom at Mia's place. He grabbed a clean set and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the water and waited for the blue-haired teenager to come.

Rowen came not long after the shower had started. Wildfire moved out of the way and Strata went to the shower. He checked the water and turned the temperature gage to the left a little. He checked again then left. Ryo took off his clothes once the door was closed and got in the shower.

The black-haired teenager went back to the living room after he was finished. When Rowen saw him going to the fireplace the blue-haired teenager said "sit on a couch, Ryo."

Ryo did as he was told. He knew that his friend was right but the annoyance of being so far away from his element still came. He felt like he wasn't close _enough_ even though logically he was sure that he was close enough for the heat of the fire to touch him.

…

Mia was in her grandfather's study again when her phone rang. She picked it up and said "This is Mia."

" _I found the information that you were wanting_ ," Dr. Wadsworth said on the other end.

Mia couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. She had to fight to keep her voice even when she asked "what did you find?"

" _That Sealing Mark you were asking about – it's quite the peculiar thing. It can only be removed by the one who placed it or by another sorcerer or sorceress. There isn't a way for a regular person to remove it. It's also the same for that metal you were asking about. It can only be broken by someone with supernatural powers_."

Mia's heart dropped. She only knew of 2 people with supernatural powers: Jason and the Sorceress.

 _What am I going to do?_


	20. Finding a New Path

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 20**

 _Finding a New Path_

" _Are you still there, Mia?_ " Dr. Wadsworth asked.

Mia was shaken out of her thoughts. "I'm here," she answered. "I was just thinking." There was several seconds of a pause as she tried to get her thoughts in order. "How common are people with supernatural powers?" She finally asked.

" _I truthfully don't know how common those people are in society since the legends of the different cultures had never said anything about it_."

"Is it said that they can only be found in one place in the world?"

" _The legends come from different cultures from around the world. There is no specific region, if that is what you are asking about_."

"Thank you for the information, Dr. Wadsworth," Mia said. "You've really helped."

" _Were you doing research of some kind?_ "

Mia shook her head. "No," she amended, "you've satisfied my curiosity. That's all."

There was a chuckle on the other end of the phone call. " _I'm glad I could help_."

"I need to go now," Mia said as she looked at the clock on the wall. "A friend of mine is cooking dinner right now."

" _Oh? Are you having a party tonight?_ " Dr. Wadsworth asked.

Mia smiled. "Something like that," she replied.

" _Well, have fun_ ," the woman said.

"Will do," Mia replied before she ended the call.

She put the phone back in its cradle. Her elbows went on the desk and she rubbed her hands down her cheeks. "How am I going to tell them?" She whispered. She knew that her boys had only had had a bad experience with people with supernatural powers. In reality, she wouldn't be surprised if they thought all people with supernatural powers were like the Sorceress. She was all they knew; Mia and Yuli were the only ones who had really known Jason. _Even then, I don't know where Jason is_. If she knew where the sorcerer was, she was sure that her boys would be more willing to ask for Jason's help. That young man was the only one who had proven to be on their side when he had helped Mia rescue them.

The brunette woman stood and left the room. She walked to the kitchen where she was sure Cye was making dinner. She might as well help Torrent as her research was now officially over. The only thing she had left to do was break the news to her boys that removing their Sealing Marks and bracelets wouldn't be as simple as she had thought.

She entered the kitchen to see Cye at the stove.

"Do you need any help?" She asked.

The teenager turned from the stove while still stirring the pot. "I'd appreciate it, Mia," he replied.

The young woman went to him. "What do you need help with?" She asked.

"The mashed potatoes," he replied. "I've already peeled them. Can you do the rest?"

Mia nodded. She grabbed the food and began cutting them into smaller pieces. After putting them into a boiling pot of water, she went to make a salad. Once the meal was done cooking, both left to get the others.

Ryo was in the living room in front of the fire like usual. When Mia passed the black-haired teenager she told him that dinner was ready. She went outside with Torrent and Ryo headed to the kitchen.

It was already dark outside. Mia found Rowen sitting on the ground as he looked to the sky. She didn't want to disturb the blue-haired teenager as the time that Strata had sitting in the moonlight was limited. The only reason she came to him was because she wanted him to eat. Since lunch was a long time ago, she was sure that he must be hungry right now.

"Rowen," she said from behind him.

"What is it, Mia?" He asked without looking.

"It's time for dinner."

Rowen stood and followed the young woman back inside. Both went to the kitchen to find Ryo already at the table. From the voices in the living room, the last 3 were close behind. They sat at the table and began passing the food around.

Mia was silent as she ate. Different ways of breaking the news to her boys were running through her mind but she discarded each for different varying reasons. It was Cye who eventually gave her the opening she needed.

"Is something wrong, Mia?" The brunette asked from beside her.

The young woman looked at him and decided to just tell them what she had learned. She put down her fork. "That professor called me back," she said.

"Were you given the answers that you've been looking for?" Ryo asked.

"Yes, I was."

"What are the answers?" Kento asked after swallowing a big mouthful of food.

"There's actually only one," she corrected.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Ryo whispered.

"The only way to get both of them removed is to have someone with supernatural powers do it."

Ryo was quiet but Kento punched the table, leaving a small indent.

"There is no way I'm going to another person like that," the purple-haired teenager stated.

"But Mia said it was the only way, Kento," Sage reminded Hardrock.

"We _have_ to find a person with supernatural powers, Kento, if we want to be able to protect ourselves so Mason and the Sorceress won't be able to kidnap us again," Ryo placated. "It's the only way."

"Ryo, you went through hell compared to the rest of us. Do you want to go through an experience like that again?"

"I'm scared to, Kento," Ryo admitted in a small voice, "but I want the Sealing Mark and bracelet gone more. I don't want to not be able to protect myself if the Sorceress ever finds me again."

"That professor specializes in the supernatural. If she says that only someone with supernatural powers can remove them, then it must be true," Rowen pointed out.

"But where can we find someone like that?" Cye asked.

"Why not the one who helped Mia rescue us?" Ryo suggested.

Mia shook her head. "I don't know where he is," she told Wildfire. "None of us do. He disappeared after you had been rescued." She could tell that Ryo wasn't happy about that information. "Jason had a lot of mysteries surrounding him."

"Then what are we going to do?" Sage asked. "The only other person that we know of is the Sorceress."

"Then what should we do?" Cye asked.

"The best place to look for someone like that is probably America since that is where we had been kidnapped. I can only assume that there must be others like them there who can help us."

"Where do you think will be the best place to look, Sage?" Ryo asked.

"We probably shouldn't return to Los Angeles since that is where Mason and the Sorceress live," Rowen suggested. "I don't want to chance them finding us before our Sealing Marks and bracelets are gone."

"I agree with Rowen," Ryo told the others, "it's for the best if we don't return there."

"Then where do we go if we aren't going back to Los Angeles?" Cye asked.

"Well, it shouldn't be a small town or rural area," Mia answered. "Not many people would be living in either one."

"I think the best chance we have of finding someone with supernatural powers would be in a big city such as Los Angeles. The possibility of finding one would be the greatest there."

"What city do you think would be best, guys?" Ryo asked.

"New York," Sage answered. "It's the largest city in America."

"New York is probably the best since it's so huge," Ryo agreed.

"Why not somewhere like Britain or Canada?" Kento asked.

The black-haired teenager shook his head. "It's possible that the only people that know about our Sealing Marks and the metal of our bracelets are in America."

Mia nodded her head. "Ryo could be right. Dr. Wadsworth had mentioned that not all cultures know about things like Sealing Marks."

"We'll go to America," Ryo decided. "We were kidnapped there so I'm sure that all of the ones in America will know how to remove them."

"Should we tell Yuli we're going back to America?" Rowen asked.

"It'd probably be for the best if we don't. Yuli will want to come if he knows," Mia answered.

"Mia's right," Wildfire told the others, "I don't think Yuli should come with us."

"When will we leave?" Sage asked.

"I want to go there as soon as possible," Ryo answered. "The sooner we get rid of these things, the better."

"Then why don't we get ready to leave after dinner?" Mia suggested. "We can leave for New York City tomorrow if we do."

Ryo nodded. "I think that's a good idea."

They quickly finished eating dinner. Instead of cleaning up like always, they used that time to get ready for their sudden trip tomorrow. They wanted to make sure that they had enough time to get everything packed before going to bed. All 6 went to bed a little late that night.

…

When they reached the airport the next morning Ryo, Sage, Kento, Rowen and Cye found that they were on edge walking through a crowded airport. It felt as if there were eyes following their every movement and yet every time they looked, no one seemed to be paying attention to 5 teenagers and a young woman walking together through an airport. As if they were thinking the same thing, each found that they were on constant watch and ready to protect both themselves and Mia.

The brunette woman went to buy the tickets alone as the others stayed behind the lines. When she came back with them, she could see the strain that her boys were trying to hide from her. She didn't need to be told what was going through their minds; she knew perfectly what they were thinking. After almost being kidnapped again, she knew that they were keeping an eye on their surroundings. She walked in front of them as they went to the gate where they would board their plane.

Mia eventually found that she had had enough. "Guys," she whispered, "nothing will happen while we're here. You're safe right now."

"I know," Ryo whispered from beside her, "but I can't seem to stop."

None of the Ronin Warriors could, really. They were on constant high alert for any possible attacks while they were waiting for their flight. Wildfire guessed that after everything Mason and the Sorceress had put them through, it was only natural for them to keep an eye out. They didn't want to return to being the 2 American's prisoners.

"It'll be fine," Mia promised.

…

There was a ringing from Mason's pocket as he ate breakfast with the Sorceress. He took out his phone and saw that one of his contacts was calling him. He answered the phone.

" _I found them_ ," were the first words that were spoken.

"Those boys that I was telling you about?" Mason asked.

" _Yes; they are at the airport right now_."

"Do you know where they are flying to?"

" _I wasn't able to find that out. Those boys are keeping too close of an eye out for me to follow them. I did see them heading to where the flights to America are located_."

"Thank you for the information," Mason said as he looked at the Sorceress.

The mercenary hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket.

"Ryo and the others are heading back to America," Mason told her.

"Do you know where?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I wasn't able to get that information."

"What is your next move?"

"We are going to return to my estate for now. I will tell all of my contacts in America to keep an eye out for those boys. If they see them, they will call me."

"That might the best course of action right now. I only hope that it won't take long for them to be located." _Especially Ryo_ , she silently added.

…

Ryo and the others went inside a hotel close to the airport. Mia talked to the receptionist while the others stayed with their luggage near the door to the outside. When Mia came back she handed a keycard to both Ryo and Rowen. She kept the third for herself.

"I got one for all 5 of you. I'll be sleeping in the room next door," she told them as she grabbed her suitcase.

They walked to their rooms and left their luggage inside. Since it was dinnertime, all 5 had decided to eat after they had dropped their suitcases off at their hotel rooms. Well, more specifically, Kento had insisted on eating as soon as possible. Ryo and the rest only agreed because Hardrock's stomach had growled afterwards.

They found a restaurant close to where they were staying. They ordered their food and waited for it to be brought out.

"You know," Cye said as his chin rested on his hand with his elbow on the table. "It always seems to take forever for our food to come because Kento always orders so much."

Rowen grinned. "That's the problem with taking someone with a bottomless pit for a stomach along."

"Hey!" Kento protested. "It's not my fault that I eat so much!"

Cye snickered. "You're right," he agreed. "It's your appetite's fault."

Sage laughed. "He's got a point, Kento," he said.

The purple-haired teenager crossed his arms in a fake pout. "That's so unfair," he grumbled.

Ryo grinned. "Hey, look on the bright side, Kento. At least you aren't always hungry."

Kento was about to reply when something caught his eye. He grinned and almost sang "foods here!"

Ryo leaned back and waited for his food to be set before him. Once all of the waiters were gone, the black-haired teenager picked up his fork and took a bite. He ignored Kento's inhalation of food.

"You're drawing attention, Kento, because you're eating so much," Cye commented after a while.

Kento gave his brunette friend the _what are you talking about?_ look. Rowen caught it and tried not to laugh.

"At least Mia can pay for the extra amount that he's eating, Cye," Strata told Torrent.

The purple-haired teenager quickly swallowed his mouthful of food. "Can't help if I eat more compared to everyone else," he pointed out.

Once everyone except Kento finished eating, the conversation about what to do next finally started.

"How will we find someone who can help us?" Mia asked.

"I don't want to ask for a sorceress' help," Cye stated.

"Why not?"

"Have you forgotten what the Sorceress had done to us?" Ryo asked.

"Don't forget what she did to Ryo," Sage reminded everyone.

Cye nodded. He remembered; how could he not? He still had nightmares of some of those times.

"After our experience with the Sorceress, we're a little reluctant to let another female help us," Rowen explained to Mia.

"I understand," Mia softly said, "but not all females must be like the Sorceress."

"But, still," Ryo said as he leaned back, "how are we going to find one? We don't really know where to look."

"I know, Ryo," Rowen reminded his black-haired friend. "Where do you suggest we start looking?"

"I don't know," Wildfire stated.

Kento swallowed his last bite of food. He set his fork down and patted his stomach. "Well, I'm done," he stated.

Mia got a waitress' attention. "Can I have the check?" She asked.

"Certainly," the other woman said. She left and Mia returned her attention to her boys.

"So," Ryo continued, "we don't know where to start."

Rowen nodded his head. "That pretty much sums it up."

Mia took the check offered to her. She thanked the waitress and started filling it out. She signed her name and folded her copy of the receipt. She stood and the others followed her outside. As they started walking back to their hotel in the dark, Cye noticed that Sage had an uneasy look on his face.

"Can we buy a nightlight?" Sage suddenly asked as they waited for the streetlight to change. He felt like a child asking for something because they are afraid of the dark. _I'm not afraid_ , he reminded himself, _it just unnerves me_.

"A nightlight?" Kento asked. "I didn't know you were afraid of the dark, Sage."

The blonde glared at his friend. "You know that complete darkness unnerves me, Kento. My element is light, remember?"

Hardrock waved his hand in dismissal. "I remember," he stated.

The light changed and the 6 of the continued their walk back to their hotel. When they walked inside the lobby, Mia went to the receptionist. She asked for directions to a store while the others waited by the door. When she returned, there was a piece of paper in her hands. They walked back outside and she guided them to the store. When they reached it, they bought the nightlight that the blonde wanted and then returned to their hotel. When they reached their rooms, Mia opted to join the teenagers in theirs.

A rollaway bed was already inside when they entered the room. Sage took the bag and went to the light socket nearest one of the 2 beds. He plugged in the nightlight and threw away both the empty package and bag. Then he sat on the bed next to Cye.

"What will we do tomorrow?" Cye asked.

"I guess we can always find a place for people with supernatural powers," Kento suggested from beside him.

"But are there any?" Ryo asked from the other bed.

All 6 of them had opted to sit on the sides of the beds closest to each other. This way it would be easier to talk to one another.

"The only way we'll know is if we look," Mia answered.

"And where exactly _would_ we look?" Kento asked. "We don't exactly live in New York City."

"The library would be a good place to start," Rowen suggested. "I think it's one of the best choices right now."

Ryo nodded. "He's right," he stated. "Public libraries should have _something_ we can use."

"We'll have to go tomorrow as it's too late to go to one tonight," Mia told the others. "We might as well sleep at this point."

Mia left the room to go to sleep since she had her own hotel room. The 5 teenagers got ready for bed.

"Who gets where tonight?" Kento asked.

"Thanks for volunteering to sleep on the rollaway bed," Cye all but sang.

"Hey!" Kento protested.

"Rowen and Sage will share one bed. Cye and I will share the other," Ryo stated. "Sorry, Kento, but you're the biggest out of all of us."

Kento opened his mouth to say something but shut it instead. He opened the rollaway bed and climbed into it. He settled down as the others got into their own beds. Rowen shut off the lamp and rolled away from Sage who was facing the nightlight. Each of them quickly fell asleep.

…

The next day everyone had opted to eat at a restaurant. The hotel they were staying at didn't offer much in the way of breakfast choices and Cye had joked that Kento would have eaten everything by the time he was done.

After breakfast they headed to a library nearby that Mia had asked for directions to. They went inside and directly to the computer area. The brunette woman sat in the chair and the others gathered at the end of the row. The teenagers' eyes kept roaming the room as their friend looked for a place where people with supernatural powers go. They were restless as they watched and more than once one of their heads whipped around to find a sudden noise. There were no threats to any of their safeties or freedom but Ryo and the others found they couldn't stop themselves. They didn't want to get caught off guard even though they weren't even in Japan anymore.

 _Mason and the Sorceress did a good one on us_ , Rowen thought as he eyed a woman browsing the shelves nearby. _We can't stop being on the look-out for them even though they had found us in a different country and we aren't anywhere near Los Angeles_.

Ryo saw Mia close the program that she had been using for a while. "She's done, guys," he whispered.

Kento, Rowen, Sage and Cye looked to find the young woman walking towards them. When she reached her boys, she just waved at them to follow her. She led them to a place where they could talk without being overheard.

"It's impossible to find the answer," Mia told them, "it's as if there are no places for them to gather."

"What will we do?" Cye worriedly asked.

"The only thing we can do, Cye: ask," Ryo replied.


	21. Breaking Free

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 21**

 _Breaking Free_

A lot of days passed before there was a knock on the door. Amy, who had been reading a book in her living room, went to answer the door. In the hall a young man was waiting for her.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

The woman moved to the side to let him through. He entered the apartment and she closed the door. She turned to the only other person there.

"What is it, Gayle?" She asked.

"There are people asking for information about us," he answered. "They want to find us for some reason."

Amy's interest was piqued by his words. It wasn't often that people asked where to find them. "Will you come sit in the living room?" She asked Gayle. With his nod, she led him farther in.

She passed the loveseat where he sat with the question of what he wanted to drink. She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with the milk that he had asked for. The woman handed him one of the 2 glasses and kept the other as she sat across from him on the couch. Once she got comfortable she began the conversation.

"Can you explain what you said about people asking for us?"

"Seems there are 5 teenage boys and one young woman going through New York asking where they can find one of us. I don't know why they are, though."

"Tell me, Gayle. What do you think of them?"

"They don't seem like bad people. It's more like there is something odd about those teenagers."

"Why do you say 'odd'?"

The young man sat his glass on the coffee table between them. "There's something… _different_ about those 5 teenagers. I get this feeling from them that I've never gotten from anyone else before. Amy, I can see something wrapped around each of them. I don't know what it is but it's as if there is an invisible light wrapped around those 5 teenagers. One of them has another light surrounding his red one that is a mix of all of the colored lights."

Silence spread between the 2 as the woman thought about the information that had been given to her. "Is there anything else that was different?" She finally asked.

"All 5 of them have a thick, black band wrapped around their neck which seems to eat away at the lights surrounding them. The only one that isn't is the multicolored one; that one almost seems to pass by it." Gayle leaned forward. "Do you know what that blackness around their necks is?"

Amy sifted through her mind for the information that he was wanting. After about a minute she finally said "have you heard of something called a Sealing Mark?" When he shook his head, she leaned over and gently patted his hand. "Don't worry about it," she told him. "Let me explain what it is. A Sealing Mark is like what the name suggests: it is a mark that seals something. It is able to cut off an ability or seal something inside of the one who has that mark. That blackness you were talking about, it's most likely suppressing whatever that light around them is."

"But then why isn't that single multicolored one affected by that blackness?"

"I don't know, Gayle. I've never come across a situation like that before."

"Will you help them, Amy?"

"I'd like you to watch them for now. I want to know what those lights are."

Gayle nodded and stood. He left the apartment and Amy went to another room. Inside there were many books on shelves throughout the room. The woman took one off a shelf and started flipping through the pages. She was looking for any information on those lights that she had been told about.

…

Gayle walked through New York City looking for 5 particular people. The lights surrounding them should have made it easier for him to find them but in a city swarming with people, it was almost impossible. He was about to give up when he caught sight what he was looking for. A teenage boy was walking close by with a red light surrounded by a multicolor one. The young man changed his direction and went after the teenager.

When he came within a certain distance from the 6 people he was looking for, Gayle stopped walking long enough to mutter some words under his breath. His vision and hearing became much sharper so that his targets wouldn't know that they were being followed. Even from his far distance from them, he could clearly hear and see the 5 teenage boys and the one young woman asking if anyone could tell them were to find someone with supernatural powers.

Gayle eventually followed them to a restaurant when the sun was going down. He had been following them for hours, listening to their conversations, and this was the first time they had taken a break. The particular place that his targets had chosen had outside seating. The young man chose an empty table near the door as the others went inside to eat. It wasn't long until a waitress came.

"What would you like to order?" She asked with a smile.

Gayle's hazel eyes scanned through the menu quickly. "I'll take a BLT and water," he answered. He handed the menu to her and she left. He settled in his chair and focused on his targets. Even though it was noisy outside of the restaurant, the young man didn't have any trouble listening to their conversation.

"What do we do if we can't find someone to take off our Sealing Marks and bracelets?" The black-haired teenager said.

"Don't worry, Ryo," the young woman sitting next to him said, "we'll find someone to help us."

"It's been _days_ , Mia," the purple-haired teenager pointed out.

"We can't just give up, though," the brunette teenager said.

Gayle stopped listening long enough to thank his waiter for the food before turning his attention back to his targets as he ate.

"Kento, this is a big city," the blonde said, "it'll be impossible to _not_ find one."

"Hey, we don't even know how many there are in America, let alone in New York City, Sage," Kento shot back.

"The only ones we met were the 2 in Los Angeles," the brunette said.

Gayle was probably the only one at the restaurant besides his targets that saw the shiver go up Ryo's spine. The reason he knew that Sage and the others had was because of Mia patting Ryo's hand and the sympathetic looks that were given to the black-haired teenager.

 _What could have happened to cause that reaction? It must have only happened to one of them from the looks that Ryo is receiving_ , Gayle thought as he chewed.

"We'll find someone – I'm sure of it," Mia stated as she looked at those seated around the table.

"But how long will that take?" The blue-haired teenager asked.

Sage shrugged. "Don't really now, Rowen," he answered.

"Hey, Cye, are you gonna eat your biscuit?" Kento suddenly asked.

The brunette handed the biscuit over. "Go ahead, Kento," he answered, "I'm almost full."

The purple-haired teenager happily plucked the food out of the other's hand. He didn't waste time stuffing it into his mouth. _How does he eat that much?_ Gayle wondered. He hadn't failed to notice that Kento had many more plates in front of him than the rest.

The young man spent more time eating than he normally did. He didn't want to miss anything that was said by those he was eavesdropping on. So far he had gotten some of the information that his mentor had wanted. By the time Mia paid for her group's food, Gayle was almost finished with his. He left his own money for his dinner by his plate and left to follow Ryo and the others. He kept far back from the 6 as he wasn't worried about losing them. Sharpening his eyes and ears had guaranteed that it would be almost impossible to do so.

He followed them to a nice-looking hotel and watched them go inside before returning to Amy. He knocked on the woman's apartment door and waited to be let in again. Once he was seated on her loveseat once more, he began retelling what he had heard at dinner.

"Those 5 teenagers know about the Sealing Mark," he told the woman. "I did learn something interesting though. They seem to have a bracelet that they cannot remove themselves for some reason."

"I see," Amy slowly replied.

"Do you know why they can't take them off?"

"They might be made of the metal only we can make."

"You mean the one that only we can break?"

"That is correct." She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees. "Is there anything else you have learned about them?"

"Well, all 6 of them seem desperate to get the Sealing Marks and bracelets off for some reason," he answered.

"I wonder why," the woman muttered.

"Do you think they have done something wrong?" Gayle asked. "That's the only explanation I can think of."

"Well, do they seem like bad people?" She asked.

The young man shook his head. "I haven't seen any indication that they are," he admitted. "But why would they have the Sealing Marks if they aren't bad people?"

"Not all sorcerers and sorceresses are good people, Gayle. There is a rumor of one who is only known as the Sorceress."

"Is she a bad person?" He had never heard of a person who went by that name. In all the time he had been learning how to use his supernatural powers he had never come across someone who wasn't good.

"She uses her supernatural abilities to aid anyone who pays her whether that person is good or evil. There is a rumor that she's basically enslaved 5 young people for a mercenary in Los Angeles."

"Were they ever able to escape?"

Amy shook her head. "I don't know," she replied.

The woman's fingers entwined and she looked at the ceiling as if thinking. When her brown eyes went back to meet Gayle's own eyes, the young man could see she had made up her mind on something.

"I want you to return to watching them tomorrow," she told her student, "I want to know more about them before I make a decision on whether to help them or not."

"Alright," he said as he nodded. He stood. "Good night, Amy."

Gayle left the apartment and returned home. Even after the front door had shut, the woman continued to sit as she thought.

…

The next morning saw Ryo and the others eating at a restaurant. Like before, Kento had at least twice as much food as the others that he was hurriedly stuffing into his mouth.

"What are we going to try to do today?" Sage asked once everyone but Hardrock had finished eating. "We haven't been able to get _any_ of the information that we are looking for."

"Do you think we won't ever find someone to help us?" Cye worriedly asked.

"Hey, hey, don't think like that, Cye!" Kento cheerfully said as he waved his fork with a piece of ham still on it. "I'm sure we'll find someone _eventually_."

"We've been here for a while, Kento, and we haven't met anyone with supernatural powers yet," Sage pointed out.

The purple-haired teenager shrugged. He put the ham in his mouth and quickly chewed. "Something will happen," he said once his mouth was empty.

"I wish it was that easy, Kento," Ryo told him. "We've had these for over a year now."

"It's been that long, huh?" Rowen mused.

"Sometimes it still feels like I'll open my eyes one day and find that this was all just a dream and we're still at Mason's."

All 6 of them were silent as their minds went back to the time that Mason had all 5 Ronin Warriors in his hand. Mia remembered well the despair that had come over time when she couldn't find her boys. It was something she didn't want to live through again.

…

Gayle was sitting on the opposite side of the restaurant as he watched Mia pay for everyone's meal. The young man had already paid for his own breakfast and had been waiting for a while for the purple-haired teenager to finish eating. When Kento finally ate the last bite, the young man followed Ryo and the others out of the restaurant.

Since the hazel-eyed man had already sharpened his hearing and sight, he didn't have a hard time following them when they reached the street. Like before, he kept far back from the group so they would not know they were being followed. He listened as they resumed asking for information on his people.

As Gayle followed them he noticed that the 5 teenagers were starting to become a little edgy. It was as if they were expecting something to happen from how close of an eye they were keeping on the people around them. It was as if they were expecting someone to attack them. Mia eventually took the 5 of them to a small alley. Gayle stayed close by around the corner, just close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Why are you so edgy?" Mia asked.

"I'm starting to feel as if Mason and the Sorceress are going to try to kidnap us again," Ryo answered.

Gayle's curiosity spiked.

"I also have the same feeling," Rowen admitted.

"So I'm not the only one," Sage said.

"I guess we are all feeling that if we ever let our guard down, we'll be kidnapped again," Cye added.

Kento nodded. "It's hard to ignore when you've been almost kidnapped a second time," he agreed.

The hazel-eyed man remembered what Amy had said about the person named the Sorceress. He couldn't help but wonder if those 5 teenagers were the 5 young people that the Sorceress was rumored to have enslaved.

"It's almost impossible for Mason and the Sorceress to have found you again," Mia explained to them.

"They've already found us before, Mia. We were almost kidnapped back then," Ryo reminded her. "Toyama is a big city and they had been able to find us using the signals from the tracking chips inside our bracelets."

"I don't want to be forced to fight again, Mia," Cye told the brunette woman.

 _How are they able to fight with no weapons?_ Gayle wondered. _I don't see any on them_.

"But you're not helpless," Mia tried to reassure.

Rowen shook his head. "The Sealing Marks won't let us wear our armors, Mia," he reminded her.

"But you 5 have abilities which it hasn't taken from you," she pointed out.

 _Those lights surrounding them must be the armors that they are talking about_ , Gayle realized. _Those lights are being eaten by the blackness of the Sealing Mark_.

"At least try to not be so edgy when we leave this alley," Mia suggested.

The young man now had enough information for his mentor; there was no longer any reason for him to continue following his targets. It was time he went back to Amy to give her what she had asked for.

He returned to Amy's apartment and knocked on her door. The door opened and he was waved inside. The young man went back to the same loveseat as before and sat down.

"I've got the information you asked for," he told her.

She sat across from him and folded her hands in her lap. "What did you learn?"

Gayle sat back. "I think those 5 teenagers are the ones who the Sorceress had enslaved. Those lights I saw – they are what they refer to as their armors. I also found out that the reason that they are trying to remove the Sealing Marks is because it is somehow preventing them from being able to wear their armor. It also turns out those bracelets have a tracking chip inside them that the Sorceress and a man named Mason are using to kidnap them again."

"I see," Amy said. Her index finger went to her bottom lip as she thought. After a few minutes she removed it and looked at her student. "Bring them to me," she told him. "I will remove their Sealing Marks and bracelets." _After all_ , she thought, _they are nothing more than innocent victims_.

…

Ryo was the last to walk into the hotel of the group. He shut the door behind himself but had to grab onto Sage's arms so he wouldn't fall when he tried to walk. Mia and the rest were in front of a lone young man with hazel eyes and red hair. His face screamed _I'm interested in you guys_ to the black-haired teenager. There was something about him that reminded Wildfire of the few hazy memories he had of Jason from when he and his friends had been rescued.

"Is there somewhere private we can talk?" The young man asked.

"We can talk in my friends' hotel room," Mia graciously answered. She smiled and waved her hand at the stairs. "Why don't you come with us to it?"

Ryo was about to make an objection about letting an unknown person into their room when Sage gave him the _it'll be alright_ look. The blonde patted his arm in reminder of the conversation that they had recently had with Mia.

Their female friend led their guest through the hotel to the teenager's room. Rowen took out the keycard in his jeans pocket and opened the door. All 7 stepped in and settled inside.

"What do you want to talk about?" Mia finally asked once all were settled.

"My name is Gayle. I heard you are looking for someone with supernatural powers," the young man answered.

Gayle wasn't ready for the 5 guarded looks he received from the others in the room. The only one who wasn't wearing one of those expressions was Mia. Instead, she looked between the 5 teenagers and silently sighed.

"It's okay, guys," she told Ryo and the others. "I'm sure he's not connected with either of them."

Gayle ignored his confusion in light of completing his task. He had heard enough to know that whatever she had hinted at must be the reason for the unnatural reaction to his words. In his kind of life, it was almost natural for one to keep secrets.

"I can take you to someone with supernatural powers," he offered instead. "If you'd like, we can leave go to meet that person."

The brunette woman turned to her boys. "What do you say?" She asked them with a small, excited smile. They had spent a long time waiting for this moment and now the answer had been brought to them.

Ryo stood from leaning against the wall. "I want to meet the person," He said to the room. He looked at the other Ronin Warriors and held out his hands slightly. "Don't you also want to meet that person?" When he received the nods from the others, he turned back to the stranger. "When can we see them?" He asked Gayle.

The young man smiled slightly. "Follow me," was his only reply.

The hazel-eyed man left the room followed by Mia and her boys. He walked through the hotel and back onto the streets. Even as he continued down the street, Mia noticed that he wasn't turning down any streets that she and the others had tried asking down since they had arrived. _No wonder,_ she thought as she walked alongside Ryo, _we thought we were looking for something like a business. Gayle is going by all of the streets that don't have any apartments_.

They eventually reached the skyscraper that the young man had been heading towards. Mia fell in step behind everyone else. They went inside the building and into an empty elevator. Gayle pushed a button towards the top of the group of buttons beside the elevator door. Rowen sidled up to a wall and leaned against it. Sage stood beside the black-haired teenager and closed his arms as he leaned against the wall beside the other.

At first everything was silent as if waiting for something to happen. No one kept eye contact as they rode the elevator until Strata changing positions caught his neighbor's attention. The blonde saw the blue-haired teenager lean further into the wall and brace himself better against it.

"Feeling a little lighter than normal," Rowen whispered under his breath. "We're getting too high for my liking."

Halo made a slight nod of acknowledgement. He knew that his blue-haired friend didn't like heights. He wasn't scared of them seeing as he could drop _stories_ and still come out fine. No, it was the fact that if he was standing on the roof of a skyscraper, he would most likely be blown over the side by a little bit of wind. _Having your armor's element as air doesn't have the handiness that some would think_ , Sage thought with a slight smile.

Gayle walked through the open elevator doors and continued down the hall. Sage quietly linked his arm around Rowen's and followed behind their guide. Strata gave the blonde a grateful look but said nothing.

The young man didn't stop until almost the end of the hall. He knocked on a plain, wooden door and waited. Mia was standing beside him again at this point as they waited for the person to open the door. At first it was as if time had frozen as each teenager had different ideas of who this mysterious person they were going to see was. Since they had only met the Sorceress and Jason, they couldn't help but wonder just what the person looked like.

There was a click from behind the door and it swung open to show a middle-aged woman. Mia's first thought was _what are we going to do now?_ All 5 of her boys had suddenly gone on high alert again with Kento standing in front of Ryo.

Amy stood at her front door to find that her student was back. The words that she had been building inside her head as she had waited died when she saw the instantly-cautious looks that all 5 teenage boys were giving her. It was as if they thought she was going to do something that she shouldn't. Instead of asking, she mentally shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind. She turned to the side and extended her arm inside.

"Will you come in?" She asked.

Much to her surprise, the 5 teenagers didn't move. She could see their reluctance clearly written on their faces. It was as if they already didn't trust her. The one female with them was the only one who came inside with Gayle. Amy stood holding the door as she watched the 5 teenagers' faces as they looked from her to their female companion. Eventually, it was the brunette who took the initiative and walked inside pulling the black-haired one behind him. Once the 2 were inside, the other 3 came. Amy closed the door behind the purple-haired teenager and showed all 7 into the living room. They sat with Gayle sitting beside Amy on the loveseat.

"I was the one who asked Gayle to bring you here," Amy told her guests. "I am a sorceress and I will help you."

Ryo moved closer to Sage on the couch. Halo patted his friend's knee in comfort.

The woman continued talking as if she hadn't seen Ryo's reaction. "Before I start, I want to say that I have nothing to do with the one who calls herself the Sorceress."

Ryo didn't really believe that the one who had asked Gayle to bring them wasn't connected to the Sorceress. He was sure that none of the others – well, except Mia, that is – completely believed her as well. Jason had been a different story as from the beginning he had gone against the Sorceress.

Amy could tell that the teenagers didn't believe her. She had thought that helping them would be a simple thing but the way that they were acting wasn't what she had been expecting. "I can tell you have your doubts. Why do you no believe me?" She asked.

Mia realized that explanations had to be given. "Well, you see, my friends have only met 2 people with supernatural powers until today," she explained. "The whole experience wasn't very pleasant for them."

The woman's eyes flashed with sadness as she nodded to show that she understood. "I didn't know," she said as her own explanation. "But I want you to remember that I am not like the Sorceress. I will only remove your Sealing Marks and bracelets."

Sage frowned. "How do you know about them?" He asked suspiciously.

Amy winked slightly. "I have my ways of finding out things."

Mia quickly noticed the guilty look that Gayle was directing at his lap.

"You were following us?" She asked him.

"Since yesterday," the young man admitted.

A distinct uneasy feeling fell on the Ronin Warriors; they had been followed without knowing?

Amy had the distinct impression that things were about to get complicated if she didn't do something. She sat straighter. "Would you like me to remove your Sealing Marks and bracelets?" She asked. "Gayle doesn't know enough yet to help you people."

The brunette woman sitting by Cye smiled. "Could you remove them now?" She asked for her friends.

The other female nodded. "But do you trust me enough to do so?" She asked the 5 teenagers. She saw the uneasy looks on their faces. Surprisingly enough, it was Ryo, himself, who answered for everyone. The black-haired teenager nodded his head. The woman turned to Gayle. "You remember the tool needed to cut the metal, right?" She asked him.

Gayle nodded. He left to grab it from the room next door.

Amy stood after her student left. She motioned to the kitchen. "Follow me," she said before she started walking. "I'm going to need something to work on."

Mia stood and, with her boys following behind her, entered the kitchen behind the woman. Once they were all inside, Amy pointed at Sage. "Sit at the table," she commanded. The blonde took one of the 4 kitchen chairs and pulled it out from the table. He sat down and looked to her for instructions. "Put the wrist with your bracelet on, on the table."

A pale wrist with the silver-looking bracelet was laid bare on the table. Gayle returned to Amy and gave her what she had asked for: a knife with unfamiliar script on its sides. The woman put the sharp edge of it on the blonde's bracelet.

Rowen saw Ryo's strange reaction to the sight from beside him. The black-haired teenager's eyes closed as if he was too scared to look at the knife in Amy's hands. Wildfire's left hand massaged his right side where the blue-haired teenager was sure one of his scars was. _Did the Sorceress use something similar to that knife?_ Rowen thought.

"It's okay," Rowen whispered into Ryo's ear. "She won't hurt you with it like the Sorceress did."

Wildfire didn't open his eyes. The memories of the times the Sorceress had tried to take control of the Inferno were threatening to overwhelm him. It had been a long time since his last nightmare from that time and he had begun to think that he was doing better now.

The blue-haired teenager grabbed Ryo's shoulders. "Ryo," he whispered again. "It's okay."

Amy's knife pressed into the metal as Strata continued to talk. Almost like butter, it went through until the bracelet was completely cut. The woman put down the knife and grabbed the piece. With a few unknown words, the metal bent and was slipped over Sage's wrist.

"Sage, come here," Rowen said once the blonde stood. Sage, not sure what his blue-haired friend wanted, came to them. When the blonde stood in front of them, Strata said "show Ryo where the bracelet used to be."

Halo could see that his black-haired friend was having a difficult time for some reason. _Is he remembering something?_ He thought before moving his right wrist in front of him. Ryo didn't open his eyes.

"Ryo, look at Sage's wrist," Rowen all but commanded.

Blue eyes slowly showed behind Ryo's eyelashes. The black-haired teenager saw his friend's unblemished wrist.

"She didn't even scratch my skin, Ryo," Sage told his friend.

At this point, both Kento and Cye's attention had been grabbed by the other 3 teenagers in the room. Cye turned to Ryo and said "watch her cut off my bracelet." He sat in Sage's place and set his right wrist on the table.

Rowen took Ryo's hand and dragged him closer. Feeling ridiculous, Amy waited a few seconds before cutting the second bracelet. Once the bracelet was gone, Kento took his brunette friend's place at the table. Torrent went to Wildfire and showed him his wrist.

"See?" The brunette said as he moved his wrist in the light, "no harm done."

The black-haired teenager didn't say anything but Rowen could tell that he was calming down a little. _I'm glad he's doing better_ , Strata thought as Kento's bracelet was cut off. He motioned for Hardrock to come closer when the teenager stood.

"Ryo, look at Kento's wrist," he said once the other was close enough.

Kento moved his now-bare wrist up and pointed at it. "Not a scratch," he verified with a smile.

Rowen sat in the just-vacated chair. He put his own bracelet on the table and waited. _I'm finally getting it off_ , he thought as he watched the knife going through the metal, _I'm almost free_. Amy set the knife down beside her and spoke the same words from before. The bracelet was bent and slipped off his wrist. _Now only Ryo's is left_ , he thought as he massaged his now-bare wrist before standing. _Only this time, I don't think this will be as simple; Ryo seems to be scared of that knife_.

Ryo quietly took the same seat as the others and put his right wrist on the table. He closed his eyes as if he didn't want to see what was coming.

"Can you put something like a towel around his wrist before you cut his bracelet off?" Rowen asked Amy when he saw Ryo's action.

"I can," she replied as she looked at the blue-haired teenager, "but why when none of you asked for it till now?"

"The Sorceress most likely used a knife like yours to cut Ryo's sides while we were her prisoners," Strata explained. He didn't miss the surprised look she quickly tried to hide.

"Did any of you others also get hurt?"

"No," Rowen answered for everyone, "only Ryo was hurt."

Amy set down her knife and went to a drawer near the sink. She pulled out a dishtowel and brought it to the table. After padding Ryo's wrist, she took back the tool and set it on the bracelet. Carefully, she cut through the metal. Speaking the same words as before, the woman bent the bracelet and slipped it off.

Ryo quickly took off the towel and pulled his sleeve down to his wrist before she could see the scars above it. He stood and left the table, choosing to stand beside Rowen again.

"How will you remove the Sealing Marks?" Ryo asked.

"The same way it was put on," Amy explained after sending Gayle to put the knife back.

As Sage as the closest to Amy, he was the first she went to. Her hand cupped the blonde's neck – eerily similar to how the Sorceress had done – and she spoke another unknown phrase. There was a feeling of something being freed from inside him before her hand was taken away. She went to Rowen next and repeated the process before moving on to do the same for Kento. When she came to Ryo, the black-haired teenager forced himself to stay still as the process was repeated again.

A familiar feeling welled inside Ryo's body as if to say _I'm back_. The one thing he had missed the most had finally come back. Inside Ryo, the teenager could feel the Wildfire's soul settling beside his own.

Cye was the last to be freed. Once Amy finished, she stepped back.

"Why don't you take off the handkerchiefs?" Mia suggested with a smile. "There's no reason to wear them anymore."

One by one, Ryo and the others did as their friend suggested. Bare, unblemished skin was the only thing where the Sealing Mark had been. It was as if it had never been there.

Ryo's fingers traced his neck. _I'm finally free_ , he thought. _She can't get me again_.

Amy took a few steps away from the brunette. "You're free now," she stated with a smile as if reading the black-haired teenager's mind.

"Thank you," Mia said for her boys. She knew that all of them were grateful for her help but none would have voiced it.

"Come see me if you ever need my help again," Amy told the young woman.

"What will you do with the bracelets, Amy?" Gayle asked from behind her.

"Technically, they're not ours," the woman replied. "It's up to them to decide what will be done with them."

"We'll take them with us," Sage replied. "There's someplace we want to take them to."

Kento snickered behind his hand and Cye glared at him. _Not funny_ his eyes said. The purple-haired teenager just grinned. The image of handing the cut bracelets back to a surprised Mason was funny somehow.

"Shall we go?" Mia asked her boys.

Ryo nodded. He grabbed a bracelet and walked out behind his female friend. Sage grabbed another and handed a third to Cye. Rowen and Kento each took one and left behind the others. Amy and Gayle followed them to the front door. Waving behind themselves, the 6 of them left Amy and Gayle inside the apartment. The woman shut the door.

"Do you think they'll be okay now?" Gayle asked as they returned to the living room.

"I hope so," she replied as she settled on the couch, "the Sorceress must have sealed their armor for some sort of reason. Since the Sealing Mark is no longer there, they shouldn't be easily taken back."

"But why did you help them so easily?" Gayle had been curious since this had begun. Amy wasn't one who went out of her way to help people.

"I don't wish for those boys to be enslaved again. That's all."

"Same here," he agreed, "after all, I kind of liked them." There was a pause. "What do you think they will do with those bracelets now that they're cut off?"

Amy shrugged. "Don't know but if they're smart they'll find a way to convince the Sorceress to leave them alone."

RME: I think this chapter needs some explanations. For those who aren't too happy with how Ryo behaved in Amy's apartment, you must remember that trauma has a funny way of affecting a person's life and that is basically what happened to Ryo at Mason's estate. Something that is as simple as knocking on a door can sound like someone trying to break it down to a half-asleep person who has been traumatized. For some of you, it might sound crazy but it's the truth.


	22. The Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. If I did _The Legend of the Kikoutei_ never would have been made. Who would think it would be cool if our boys lost their armors?

 **Chapter 22**

 _The Promise_

The door to the hotel room shut silently behind Mia. She and her boys had opted to return to their hotel. Now that they had been freed of both their Sealing Marks and bracelets, they were now finished with what they had come to New York for. The young woman didn't know if Ryo and the others had ever talked about what they would do once both were gone.

Mia settled herself on the bed beside Rowen. She folded her hands and waited.

"Guys, do you remember what we had decided to do after removing our Sealing Marks and bracelets?" Ryo suddenly asked from across her.

"I remember," Sage replied.

"How could I forget? That was the main thing on our minds back then," Kento said.

"Haven't forgotten, if that is what you're meaning," Rowen affirmed.

"We had decided to return to Mason's estate, right?" Cye asked for confirmation.

Ryo nodded.

"Why do you wish to return?" Mia asked. "It's dangerous for any of you to return there. They could kidnap you again if you do."

"We want to confront, Mason," Ryo explained. "We want him to give up on trying to get us back."

"But the Sorceress and Mason might not be at Mason's estate when you go to talk to him."

"I have a feeling that they will be there," Ryo told her.

"But I don't think Mia should could with us," Sage told everyone.

"Why not?" Mia protested. "I can go with you when you confront Mason."

"No, Sage is right, Mia," Ryo interrupted her. The black-haired teenager looked around the circle. "Does everyone else agree?"

Cye nodded and Kento raised his hands in surrender.

"Whatever you think is best," the purple-haired teenager said.

"Mia will be the safest if she doesn't come," Rowen agreed.

"Then where will I be?" Mia asked.

"Why not stay at our hotel that we will be at in Los Angeles while we confront Mason?" Ryo suggested.

"I agree with that," Rowen spoke up.

"Then I'll stay at the hotel while you confront Mason," Mia acquiesced.

…

"Are you telling me you _also_ can't find them?" Mason asked the person he was calling in anger.

" _I said that I have not seen them here in Phoenix, Arizona_ ," the contact on the other end of the line flatly stated.

"What am I paying you _for_?" Mason loudly asked.

" _This is the first time you have made me look for something that can move on its own – let alone an actual person_."

"They're _5 teenagers_ , Raymond. They can't just vanish into thin air."

" _Well, as far as I can tell, they haven't come to_ Phoenix _. I will keep searching if you wish_."

"Keep looking for them. I will call again soon. I hope you find them by then. The people in New Orleans, Chicago and Boston have not found a clue either."

" _I will do my best, sir._ "

Mason hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. They had been waiting for information on those boys and nothing had shown up. At first he had thought they wouldn't be home for long but as the days went by, _nothing_ had shown up to tell him where they had gone in America. It was as if they had just disappeared when they left Japan.

 _Did they go underground to escape us?_ He thought as he looked at his ceiling. He rubbed his eyes. _I'll be glad when I have them again_.

The mercenary stood and walked out of the room. The Sorceress was waiting for him outside.

"Any luck?" She asked.

"I can't find them no matter where my contacts look," he replied with a frown.

"Something happened with those boys. I've lost my ability to feel their Sealing Marks."

"What are you talking about?"

"They must have found away to remove the Sealing Marks that I put on their necks when they were kidnapped."

Mason wasn't happy about this. "What does this mean?"

"Those boys must have found someone with supernatural powers to remove the Sealing Marks," the Sorceress replied.

…

Ryo zipped his suitcase shut and grabbed his clean clothes from the bed beside it. He weaved around the rollaway bed and to the open bathroom door.

"Hey, do you need help with the water temperature for the shower?" Kento asked from his spot on the other bed.

"Nah, I can do it myself this time," Ryo called over his shoulder before shutting the bathroom door. The door was locked and the black-haired teenager set his clothes on the closed toilet seat. The shower was turned on and, eyeballing the temperature gauge, he set the water temperature.

Once the shower was going, he pulled closed the shower curtain. Taking off his clothes, he stepped under the water spray. Keeping his eyes on only his hands, he began to wash up. Even though it had been almost a year since he had been the Sorceress' prisoner, he still didn't like seeing the scars from the times she had tried to get control of his Inferno armor. He wore long sleeves and pants not only to cover the scars but to also hide them from his sight.

He washed his hair and face then started washing his arms. It was then that he noticed that there was something different about his arms.

The scars were gone.

Ryo's eyes went to his left leg. If the scars were gone from his arms, did that mean that the rest of them were also gone?

All he saw was unblemished skin.

 _What happened?_ He thought as he sped-washed through the rest of his shower. He had spent almost a year covering up them and now, all of a sudden, they were just _gone_.

The water was shut off and Ryo stepped out of the tub. Drying off, he turned to face the full length mirror on the back of the door. Since he had already checked his arms and leg, all that remained was his sides.

A smile spread across his mouth and he traced the image of his sides. Like everything else, there were no scars. _I have to show the guys_ , he thought. He quickly got dressed and exited the bathroom. Not much time must have passed as all the others in the room were still where they had been.

"My scars from her are gone," Ryo happily announced.

Sage sat up on the bed. "What?" He asked in confusion.

The black-haired teenager just pulled up the right side of his shirt in answer. Sage, Rowen, Kento and Cye looked for the scars they knew were there but all they saw was smooth skin. Wildfire pulled his shirt down after a few seconds.

"Do any of you know why my scars suddenly disappeared?" Ryo asked his friends.

"So what?" Kento asked with a grin. "I'd just be happy that my scars were gone if I was Ryo."

Ryo had a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm going to ask Mia about it," he decided and left the hotel room. He knocked on a neighboring door and waited.

"Who is it?" Mia asked from inside.

"It's Ryo," Wildfire answered. Mia opened the door. "Can I come in? I have a question I want to ask you."

The young woman moved to the side and Ryo slipped inside. Once the door was closed again Ryo began speaking.

"Do you know why my scars suddenly disappeared?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" Mia asked.

In answer Ryo picked up the right side of his shirt again and showed his unblemished side. Mia ran her finger down it. Like everyone else, she noticed that both of Ryo's scars were gone.

"You guys' armors have a way to heal even scars. Your connection with the Wildfire's soul being returned must have finally given it the ability to heal the scars from that time."

She removed her fingers and the black-haired teenager pulled his shirt back down.

"You hungry?" He asked with a small smile. "It's past dinnertime. I'm sure that Kento has already started complaining about being hungry."

"I am hungry," she agreed with an answering smile.

"Then let's get the others and find a place with enough food for Kento's appetite."

Mia gave a small laugh as they left her hotel room.

…

This time, when they went through the airport to fly to Los Angeles, all 5 Ronin Warriors felt more relaxed. They knew that they could take on _anything_ now. The connections they shared with their armors _hummed_ as if to say _we're here_. They were no longer afraid of being kidnapped again. For the first time in almost a year they felt they could take on anything.

It did not pass Mia's observation that her boys weren't paranoid this time as they went through the airport. _This is more like them_ , she thought while trying to hide a smile.

"Kento, no!" Cye hissed and grabbed his purple-haired friend's arm. "We just ate, remember?"

"But, I'm _hungry_!" Kento protested.

Ryo laughed into his hand. "It's only been 4 hours, Kento, since breakfast. You can't be hungry yet."

" _I'm hungry_!" Hardrock protested again. "Can't I have a _little_ something to eat? It doesn't have to be much!"

Cye snickered. "More like another meal. You _always_ eat more than anyone else."

"Hey! I can't help it that I've got a bigger stomach than you!"

"Just ask for some peanuts on the plane, Kento," Sage suggested.

"Can't we just stop _long enough_ for me to get something?" The purple-haired teenager complained. "The plane's not even here yet."

"With the amount you usually order, the plane will leave before we can get there," Cye helpfully reminded him.

"It's gonna be hours before we arrive there."

"If we let you get _one_ plate of food, will that tide you over?" Rowen asked.

"Just one?"

Rowen gave him the _really?_ look.

"Fine, just one," Kento agreed. He grabbed Mia's hand and dragged her off to the nearest eating area.

"Think she'll pay for him?" Cye mildly asked while walking behind the 2.

"She'll pay for him," Ryo agreed.

When they finally boarded the plane, a happy Kento with a takeout container in his hands was the last to be seated. He simply sat it on his lap and buckled in. Ryo, who was beside him, looked out the window. All 6 were silent as they waited for their plane to take off.

…

Mia led her boys out of the second airport. They had finally arrived at Lost Angeles. Even though they had already been to the city before, all had agreed to check into a hotel on the opposite side of where Mason lived. Even though they now had their connections to their armors back, they felt that it would be a good idea to stay far from the places that they had already been at the last time they had come here.

"Do you think it'll be okay to eat at Kento's uncle's restaurant?" Cye asked as they walked through the crowded streets.

"That's on the other side of the city as well, Cye," Sage pointed out.

"Then I guess that means we won't be eating there," Mia stated. "Besides, Mason may be looking for you guys. He may know about Kento's uncle already."

"She's got a point," Ryo agreed. "We should stay away from the places we've already been to and the people we know."

Rowen nodded. "That's a smart idea."

"Then let's get to the hotel we'll be staying at and eat," Kento stated.

They continued walking in silence until they reached their hotel. They dropped off their luggage and left again to find a place to eat dinner. When they ordered, Kento ordered the usual amount of food. As they waited for their meal, they found their minds going through what they had planned for the night. They spent the meal in near silence. The 5 teenagers were nervous and Mia herself couldn't think of anything to say to help ease it. She knew they were walking a dangerous line doing this.

They returned to their hotel. Mia gave each of her boys a hug with a whispered "be careful" before walking inside.

"Do we have the bracelets?" Ryo asked. In answer, the other 4 reached into their pockets and pulled out the bent, broken bracelets. Wildfire pulled out his and showed it to the others. "Let's do this."

Ryo led the others to the train station. They bought their tickets and went to their train. Because they were traveling to the opposite side of the city, it took some time before they reached their stop. All 5 silently got off the train and left the station. They walked down the streets until they reached a familiar looking brick wall. Ryo stopped and turned to his friends.

"We should probably not use the main entrance," the black-haired teenager whispered. "We don't want to attract any attention if possible."

"How do you suggest we do this then, Ryo?" Cye whispered back.

"Since Rowen has the best night vision, he'll scout ahead of us." Ryo turned to Sage in the darkness. "Do you still have your small flashlight?" The blonde nodded and took out the object in question. "Can you magnify it enough so that you, Kento, Cye and I can use it to walk by?"

"I can do that," Sage responded.

"Don't wear your subarmor until we get inside the mansion," Ryo told the others. "I don't want them to hear us going through the grounds." He looked to Rowen. "Can you jump over the wall to make sure that no one is around before the rest of us come?"

Rowen nodded. He squatted where he stood before jumping over the high wall. He landed on his feet inside Mason's estate. Pausing for a few seconds to make sure that no one was coming to investigate, he moved around the area to check for any possible guards. Once he was satisfied, he went back to where he had landed. This time, instead of just jumping back over, the blue-haired teenager decided to just jump onto it.

Hanging his torso over the wall, Strata whispered "it's clear. No one's close enough to see us go through the grounds."

"Great!" Ryo whispered back with a smile only Rowen could see. "Let's go, guys."

Ryo, Kento, Sage and Cye moved side-by-side before the wall. Rowen let go of his perch and landed on his feet inside the grounds. He moved a few steps away and waited for the others. He watched as they appeared above the wall and landed on their feet. Ryo motioned for Rowen to start moving.

The flashlight in Sage's hand turned on and quickly became much brighter than what should have been possible. Wildfire, Hardrock and Torrent gathered around the blonde as they waited.

Strata silently moved through the grounds while keeping an eye out for anyone. He needed to find a way in that they all could use. Swimming was out of the question as Kento would just sink like a rock if he tried. _At least we aren't on a mountain_. Rowen thought as he kept walking. _That would also cause another problem_. He kept to the shadows as much as possible. As he scouted, he started making a map in his head for when he brought the others. Once he reached the front of the house, the blue-haired teenager turned back. Using his mental map, he returned back to his friends who were waiting by the wall.

"Coast is clear," he whispered when he almost reached them. He didn't have to worry about them not being able to hear him; their abnormal hearing made sure of that.

"Take us there," Ryo whispered back.

Rowen turned back and motioned for his friends to follow him. Without looking back, he began walking away. Ryo, Sage, Kento and Cye fell behind the blue-haired teenager using Halo's flashlight to see where they were walking. They kept quiet as they walked, each keeping a close eye on their surroundings. They could still feel the connection they had to their armors, reminding them that _this_ time was different. They weren't prisoners anymore.

Ryo stopped everyone close to the mansion.

"Put on your subarmor," he whispered to his friends.

Lights wrapped around the 5 teenagers. After the lights died, each Ronin Warrior was standing in their subarmors. Ryo motioned above them to a second-story balcony. All 5 jumped onto the railing, stepping down onto the balcony afterwards.

"How do we get inside without setting off any alarms?" Cye whispered.

Kento grinned. "They never expect someone like me," he softly explained. He curled his fist and easily punched through the glass door near the handle. He opened the door. "After you," he whispered to the others.

They entered an empty bedroom. Kento closed the door behind them and followed everyone else to the only other door. The black-haired teenager motioned for everyone to stop before cautiously opening it. He looked down both sides of the hall then stepped out of the bedroom. He turned to the others.

"Do we know where Mason's bedroom is?" He quietly asked them.

All 4 shook their heads.

"What about you?" Kento asked.

Ryo shook his head also. "I don't know where it is," he whispered.

"I guess the only way to find Mason is to look in every room," Sage quietly suggested.

"I think Sage is right," Ryo softly agreed. "Rowen, can you look into every room so the light from Sage's flashlight won't be seen by anyone who could be inside?"

Rowen nodded. He went ahead of the others, opening each door that he passed by. They walked down the hall with only Rowen checking each room. When they reached the end, they came to a staircase leading to the first floor.

"Should we check the first floor?" Ryo whispered to the others.

"I think it's a good idea just in case he's down there," Sage whispered back.

"Would you mind going downstairs alone to check, Rowen?" Wildfire softly asked.

"No problem," Rowen quietly replied. He walked past Ryo who was the closest to the stairs. Silently, he went down them.

There weren't many doors to choose from on the ground floor. Rowen could only count 4 doors from where he stood besides the front doors. He went to the door closest to the front and opened it to find a comfortable living room. He shut that door and went to the double doors across the hall. Inside was a magnificent ballroom. _Is everything he owns always so elaborate? I didn't know he had this kind of taste in decoration when I was living here with Sage and the others a year ago_. He left the ballroom and proceeded to the third door. It was the farthest from the front doors. Inside he found a long, rectangle table with many chairs surrounding it. _How many people live here?_ Rowen wondered as he went through the only other door in the room.

This time he was led to the kitchen. Even though the lights were off he still saw the many stoves and ovens against one wall. He walked through to the other side of the kitchen and to another hall. He walked down the dark hall until he reached a single door with light shinning underneath it. _Someone must be here. Should I tell the others and return with them or check to see if it's Mason first?_ He could hear Sage's voice saying _check before coming to get us_ go through his mind. If it wasn't Mason in there, then going back to get them would be a waste of time. He should at least make sure that Mason was inside before getting his friends. He was wearing his subarmor so he could protect himself if needed.

The door opened enough for Rowen to slip through. Careful to make the least amount of noise possible, he went to the only person in the room. The person was as blonde as Sage so, unless Mason had dyed his hair after the Ronin Warriors had escaped, it wasn't Mason that Strata had found.

Rowen took a second to look around the small room. It was filled with screens that showed what he assumed was different parts of the estate. Scanning over them, the teenager was puzzled to find none of those areas familiar. _Did he not have anyone keeping an eye on us while we were here?_ Rowen knew that Mason had been making money using the Ronin Warriors as a personal army. It was one of the things that Ryo had told them after they had been kidnapped. _I wonder if Mason was ever worried that we would be found. Is that the reason that I don't see any part of our prison on these screens?_

A snore coming from the only other occupant in the room brought Rowen back. He walked to the only seat in front of the screens.

"Wake up," Rowen commanded.

The man opened his eyes and turned to look for who had talked to him. He jumped to his feet and pulled out his gun. Rowen's hand was a blur as it took the gun from the man. Strata took it in both hands. Holding it before him, the blue-haired teenager asked his question.

"Where is Mason?"

There was no response. Rowen could tell that the man wasn't going to tell him. To give him an incentive, the teenager broke the gun in two with his bare hands. The man went white.

"Where is Mason?" Rowen asked again.

"Thir-third story….other end of the house, last door," the man replied in a shaky voice.

"Thank you for the information."

As a reward, Rowen punched the man who slid to the ground unconscious. Near the door was some rope that Strata used to tie the unconscious man up. As he left to tell Ryo and the others what he had found out, he saw multiple tracking devices. It was the only explanation as to why they looked like that. Without a shred of remorse, Rowen's fist went through each of the screens. He knew what they were made for.

He went back upstairs to his friends.

"I found out where Mason is," Rowen whispered. "It's the last door on the right side of the house on the third story."

Ryo nodded. "Can you take us there? You've got the best eyesight out of all of us." The black-haired teenager turned to the blonde. "I want you to turn off your flashlight now."

Sage nodded. There was a click and darkness draped over them again.

"Follow me," Rowen whispered.

Strata led the others through the house to where the man had said where Mason was. When they reached the designated door, Ryo stopped them again.

"I don't want to wake Mason until we reach him," Wildfire softly warned.

Kento, Cye, Rowen and Sage nodded with a soft agreeing noise. They understood.

Rowen opened the door and motioned for the others to go inside. The room was empty so there was no need to warn anyone of them. Once Strata also entered the room, the door was closed. Inside were multiple chairs and a small coffee table. There were only 2 other doors besides the one they came in. Seeing as one was fancier than the other, Ryo could only assume that Mason's bedroom would be through that one. He walked to the fancy door with the others following him. He pointed to Rowen then to the door as if to say _check it out_. The blue-haired teenager silently slipped through the door. A could of seconds later Rowen opened the door all the way. He waved his hand to the only bed in the room.

Ryo walked to the bed and covered Mason's mouth.

"Wake up," Ryo loudly said directly over the mercenary.

Mason jerked awake. It took a second for him to look around at the 5 people crowding around his bed and the armor that they were wearing. He tried to say something but Ryo's hand made it impossible to speak or call for help.

Ryo handed something in his hand to Sage who collected from the other 3 as well. 5 pieces of metal were dumped onto Mason's bed. In the moonlight streaming from the window, the familiar shape of the Ronin Warriors' bracelets could be seen.

"Give up on trying to kidnap us again," Ryo told Mason. "We'll always be ready to fight if you go after us again."

"You had only gotten lucky when you kidnapped us. We were caught off-guard the first time," Rowen added.

"You won't catch us off-guard again," Sage promised.

"You kidnapped us, Mason," Cye reminded the mercenary, "and kidnapping is against the law. We will tell the police that you broke the law when you kidnapped Ryo and the rest of us if you don't promise to leave us alone."

"Tell the Sorceress to give up on us as well," Sage told Mason. "That also includes going after Ryo for the Inferno. She _also_ broke the law like you did. What she did to Ryo would be considered torture if the police were told about what she had done to him while we were your prisoners."

Mason slowly nodded his head. The Ronin Warriors could tell that he had finally given up on them. Ryo removed his hand.

"Don't forget, Mason: we will _always_ be ready for you," Ryo told the man.

"We will tell the police if you try to kidnap us again," Rowen promised.

Ryo motioned to the door leading to the balcony with his head. All 5 teenagers walked through the balcony door as Mason just watched. The man knew that his bedroom was on the third story and so didn't believe that the Ronin Warriors would survive jumping from the balcony.

So to say that Mason was surprised when they just _jumped_ off the balcony like it was nothing was an understatement. The man ran to where they had been standing. They had to have died after jumping off a _third story_ balcony.

Mason saw 5 people running across the grounds in the moonlight.

…

Mia was sitting on the bed while she waited for her boys to return. She was worried that they had been somehow kidnapped again even though they had their armors now. When the door finally opened, she jumped to her feet. Their clothes didn't show any signs of fighting so Mia could only assume that they had been able to avoid any.

She went to them and asked "how did it go?"

"We convinced him to give up trying to kidnap us again," Ryo replied.

"Still, be careful for a while just to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I'm worried that Mason won't keep his promise. Did you also see the Sorceress?"

Ryo shook his head. "No, we stayed away from her."

"Sage told Mason to tell her to give up on us though," Cye helpfully added. "I told Mason that we would tell the police Mason had broken the law when he kidnapped us if he ever tried again."

"I'm glad," Mia breathed with a smile. She clasped her hands together. "Why don't we return home tomorrow?"

Ryo and the others nodded. They didn't want to stay long.

RME: the original idea for this story came from the footnote in chapter 10 in _When All Seemed Lost_. Truthfully, I wasn't going to write a story with that idea but my brain wouldn't shut up and so this story was born. It took some finagling to make it possible. Originally there was no Sorceress. I had to use supernatural powers to make our boys fight because they wouldn't have done so willingly and Ryo would have been able to escape at the beginning of the story.

Zorra Reed: sorry about not replying to the last couple reviews. I've enjoyed them. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to send them. I want to wish you luck on that fanfic.


End file.
